The name day of the head of the Central Asian Metropolitan District, Metropolitan Vikenty of Tashkent and Uzbekistan, was celebrated on 24 November 2021 in Tashkent. On this day, when the Holy Church remembers the labors and feats of the Martyrs Victor and Vincent, Metropolitan Vikenty celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Church of St. Luke of Crimea of the Tashkent Orthodox Theological Seminary.
Clergy from the churches of the Tashkent and Gulistan deaneries came to congratulate His Eminence.
Also praying at the Liturgy were the abbess of the Holy Trinity St. Nicholas Convent, Hegumenia Ekaterina (Malgina), and the senior sister of the Holy Protection Convent, Nun Evfrosinia (Lozinskaya).
The liturgical hymns were sung by the choir of students of the Tashkent Seminary (choir director Olga Ilyasova).
At the end of the Liturgy a moleben of thanksgiving to the Lord was served, after which the clergy, seminarians, diocesan staff and parishioners congratulated Metropolitan Vikenty on his name day.
Archpriest Igor Balukhatin, first secretary of the diocese and dean of the Tashkent Deanery: "We have gathered today in this church to congratulate you on your name day, to wish you strong and good health of soul and body, and to ask the holy martyrs to be intercessors for you. They are both your heavenly patrons, and both pray for you. And we wish that through their prayers the Lord may prolong your life and ministry. For more than ten years now we have been with you in this diocese, and we ask that the Lord prolong your days for as long as is pleasing to Him, strengthen you in your demanding labor and grant you the salvation of your soul, which is the most important thing of all."
Priest Andrei Lin, warden of the Dormition Cathedral: "Dear Vladyka, on behalf of the staff of the cathedral please accept our congratulations on your name day. We prayerfully wish you strength of spirit, and that the Lord may increase your strength and health in carrying out the obediences entrusted to you, to the glory of God and for the good of the Church of Christ."
Archpriest Sergiy Statsenko, vice-rector for academic affairs of the Tashkent Orthodox Theological Seminary and rector of the Church of the Holy Right-Believing Grand Prince Alexander Nevsky in Tashkent:
"Dear Vladyka, allow me to congratulate you on behalf of the teaching staff of the seminary and the parish of the Church of the Holy Right-Believing Prince Alexander Nevsky. The heavenly patronage of the saints implies a special ministry of the saints in whose honor we were once named. On one and the same day you celebrate the memory of the two saints in whose honor you received your name at baptism and at your monastic tonsure. One can probably speak of a special providence of God in this.
A saint, like an angel, is a servant of God, and his ministry is directed toward supporting each one of us. We prayerfully ask that the Martyrs Victor and Vincent support your ministry.
A sign of special favor is the presence of relics: the entire head of the holy Martyr Vincent."
In his words of reply Metropolitan Vikenty thanked everyone for their warm congratulations.
