On 22 November 2019, in the 23rd week after Pentecost, Metropolitan Vikenty of Tashkent and Uzbekistan celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Cathedral of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Prince Vladimir.

Concelebrating with His Eminence were: Mitred Archpriest Valentin Nikonov, Archimandrite Pyotr (Putiyov), Archpriest Alexei Zaitsev, Dean of the Osh District Archpriest Viktor Reimgen, Dean of the Issyk-Kul District Archpriest Sergiy Chuvichkin, Dean of the Talas District Archpriest Dmitry Shushpanov, Secretary of the Diocese of Bishkek Priest Alexander Pelin, Priest Georgy Dvorovoy and Priest Nikolai Pelykh.

At the end of the Liturgy a hymn of glorification was sung to the Mother of God before her icon “Quick to Hearken”.

Metropolitan Vikenty then addressed the parishioners with an archpastoral word, in which he congratulated everyone on the feast of the icon of the Mother of God “Quick to Hearken”.

“This icon was given its name by the Mother of God Herself. She announced to a monk that she would be quick to hearken to everyone who prays before this icon with faith and trust, hoping for her help. This story teaches us to treat our holy things with special reverence and the fear of God. A monk who passed by the icon every day and blackened it with the smoke of his splinter-torch received an admonition from the Most Holy Theotokos to come to his senses and behave reverently. But he disregarded it and was punished with blindness; yet, having repented, he was swiftly healed of his blindness. From this we should learn to approach more thoughtfully everything we do in relation to the Lord. One thing we do often is make the sign of the cross. Frequently we do it mechanically, without thinking. And yet it is a great power when, fully aware of what we are doing, we sign ourselves with the cross, sanctifying our mind, our heart, and our powers of soul and body. Folding the fingers correctly gives us a power that shields us from every evil.” Metropolitan Vikenty also stressed the need for a reverent attitude towards the relics of the saints, and urged the parishioners to seek benefit from their communion with the Lord and His saints, setting aside earthly well-being and seeking instead the Kingdom of God and the eternal salvation of their souls.

Metropolitan Vikenty is in Bishkek on an archpastoral visit and at the invitation to take part in the conference “Orthodoxy and Islam: Religions of Peace”, which was held on 21 November 2019.