Relics of the Holy Martyrs Faith, Hope, Love, and Their Mother Sophia

On September 30, 2011, on the day of the heavenly patrons of Almaty, a reliquary with the great holy relic of the healing relics of the holy glorious, praiseworthy, and victorious martyrs Faith, Hope, Love, and their mother Sophia was transferred to the Sophia Cathedral of the Iversko-Serafimovsky Convent in the southern capital.

The holy relic, at the request of Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan, was given as a gift to the Orthodox residents of Almaty from the Constantino-Eleninsky Convent near St. Petersburg, by the abbess of the monastery, Igumenia Ilariona (Feoktistova), and the monastery's benefactor, Konstantin Veniaminovich Goloshchapov.

The reliquary for storing the holy relic was made by the blessing of Metropolitan Alexander in the artistic workshop named after Alexander Nevsky in Moscow by the famous jeweler A.I. Aniskin.

On festive days, the honorable relics are brought to the churches of the dioceses of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan for the spiritual strengthening and prayerful veneration of the faithful.

The Holy Martyr Sisters and Their Pious Mother are the Heavenly Protectors of the Land of Semirechye.

On September 17 (30, according to the new style), 1854, on the feast of the holy martyrs, the Zaileyiskoe fortification was solemnly consecrated and renamed Verny, in honor of the martyr Faith. At the same time, in memory of the heavenly protectors of Semirechye, the first Cossack stanitsas founded at the foot of the Zaileysky Alatau by settlers from Western Siberia were named—Nadezhdinskaya (Issyk), Sofiyskaya (Talgar), Lyubavinskaya (Kaskelen).

"Three young maidens and their pious mother, by their feat, clearly testify that for people strengthened by the grace of God, the lack of physical strength, the frailty of nature, age, and social status do not at all hinder the manifestation of firmness of spirit, steadfastness in a virtuous life, and the testimony of the Christian faith. The words of the Apostle Paul are fulfilled in them: 'I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me' (Phil. 4:13), and already 'neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate' (Rom. 8:38-39) faithful Christians from the love of God.

May the Lord, through the prayers of the holy martyrs Faith, Hope, Love, and their mother Sophia—the heavenly protectors of Semirechye—grant us not in words but in deeds to lead a life based on the Gospel commandments, bestow upon us all the power of faith and the strength of hope, and most importantly, the power of love—love for God and people. May these three virtues be a guiding star for us in our lives, our prayers, our sorrows, and our joys, so that each of us can apostolically say: 'I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith; henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day' (2 Tim. 4:7-8)." From the address of Metropolitan Alexander.