Metropolitan Alexander Awards Church Honors to the Organizers and Participants of the Bringing of the Relics of Blessed Matrona of Moscow to Kazakhstan

On October 2, 2024, in Almaty, Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan met with the organizers and participants of the event involving the bringing of the relics of Blessed Matrona of Moscow to Kazakhstan – Father Vladislav Mishin, rector of the Church of St. Martin the Confessor in Moscow, and his assistant, L.E. Filatyev.

The meeting took place in the fireplace hall of the administrative and spiritual-cultural center of the Metropolitan District of Kazakhstan, named after Metropolitan Joseph (Chernov).

Present at the meeting were: O.N. Ovchinnikov, Secretary of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District and Honored Artist of Russia; Protopriest Eugene Ivanov, Acting Rector of the Almaty Orthodox Theological Seminary and Head of the Information Department of the Metropolitan District; Hieromonk Prokhor (Endovitsky), head of the Metropolitan’s personal secretariat; Protopriest George Sidorov, head of the administrative secretariat of the Metropolitan District; and Protodeacon Roman Golovin, head of protocol service.

Metropolitan Alexander warmly thanked Father Vladislav and Leonid Eduardovich for their help in organizing and personally participating in the bringing of the relics of Blessed Matrona to the Metropolitan District.

The archpastor presented church honors to the guests. Father Vladislav Mishin was awarded the “Enbek Üshin” (For Labors) Order, while L.E. Filatyev received the “Enbek Üshin” Medal.

The Head of the Metropolitan District wished the awardees divine grace in carrying out their important duties and presented them with blessed icons of Blessed Matrona of Moscow, sanctified at her relics during their visit to Kazakhstan, as well as books recounting the history of Christianity in Central Asia.

The participants expressed their gratitude to the Metropolitan for the high church honors, praised the successful organization of the events surrounding the bringing of the relics, and shared their positive experiences of visiting the shrines of the Astana and Almaty Dioceses and the sights of the southern capital.

Another attendee was M.A. Sashina, a spiritual daughter of Metropolitan Joseph (Chernov) of Almaty, who had previously donated a unique item to the memorial house-museum of the late hierarch – his personal icon of the Iveron Mother of God.

For her contribution to preserving the memory of this hierarch, revered by millions, the Head of the Metropolitan District awarded Maria Ivanovna with the Metropolitan Joseph Prize.

In gratitude, M.I. Sashina presented Metropolitan Alexander with an old book about Blessed Xenia of St. Petersburg, in which Metropolitan Joseph had made notes about the saint’s miraculous intercession in his life.