October 26, 2024 – Feast of the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God.
With the blessing of Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan, Bishop Veniamin of Talgar, vicar of the Astana Diocese, celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Sophia Cathedral of the Iveron-Seraphim Convent in Almaty, which was celebrating its patronal feast day.
Serving with His Grace were clergy of the Sophia Cathedral: Protopriest Alexander Sokolov, Priest Alexander Alferov, Hieromonk Savva (Kulbakin) from the church of the Royal Passion-Bearers, Deacon Andrei Plakhuta, and Deacon Ilya Vorobyev.
Praying at the Liturgy were Abbess Lyubov (Yakushkina) of the Iveron-Seraphim Convent of the Southern Capital with sisters of the convent, staff of the Almaty Diocesan Administration, pilgrims, and parishioners.
The choir of the Sophia Cathedral, directed by O. Usoltseva, sang during the service.
During the memorial litany, the departed Kazakhstani hierarchs were specially commemorated: Archbishop Sophonius (Sokolsky, †1877) and Bishop Nikon (Bogoyavlensky, †1897), both interred near the altar of the Sophia Cathedral, as well as the revered ascetic Metropolitan Joseph (Chernov, †1975), whose tomb lies within the Sophia Cathedral.
The Liturgy concluded with a hymn of praise to the Most Holy Theotokos before her Iveron icon, after which Bishop Veniamin congratulated the abbess, clergy, and parishioners on the feast and delivered a sermon to those gathered.
On the evening before, the hierarch led an all-night vigil with a lity in the Sophia Cathedral.
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