In Kazakhstan, the Sisters Servants Celebrate 25 Years of Service
On October 25–26, festivities were held in Karaganda (Kazakhstan) to mark the 25th anniversary of the service of the Sisters Servants of Mary Immaculate of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in Kazakhstan. The events brought together monks, clergy, state officials, scholars, and members of the Ukrainian community in Kazakhstan.
This was reported by the press service of the Apostolic Administration for the Faithful of the Byzantine Rite in Kazakhstan and Central Asia.
The celebrations began on October 25 with Holy Mass in the Minor Basilica of St. Joseph in Karaganda, where the servants of God Bishop Alexander Chira and Gertrude Detzel are laid to rest. The service was led by Bishop Joseph Wert, Ordinary of the Transfiguration Diocese in Novosibirsk, concelebrated by Bishop Teodor Matsapula, Bishops Athanasius Schneider and Eugene Zinkovsky, as well as priests of both the Latin and Byzantine rites.
Sisters from Ukraine, led by the Provincial Superior of the Sisters Servants of Mary Immaculate, Sr. Khrystofora Bushtyn, also attended the celebration.
During Holy Mass, prayers were offered for Kazakhstan and all the witnesses of faith who served in this land. In his homily, Bishop Joseph Wert recalled examples of the heroic faith of the clergy of Karaganda during the years of persecution and urged prayers for the martyrs and ascetics of the 20th century.
After Mass, participants visited the tomb of Bishop Alexander Chira, where they held a memorial service in the Byzantine rite and prayed for his prompt beatification.
That same day, an international conference entitled “Witnesses of Faith in Kazakhstan” was held to mark the anniversary of the Sisters Servants. It was opened by Fr. Vasyl Hovera, Apostolic Administrator for Catholics of the Byzantine Rite in Kazakhstan and Central Asia, who emphasized the importance of preserving the memory of witnesses to the Catholic faith in the region.
Among the speakers were Sr. Oresta Borshchovska, Sr. Melania Sydorik, SSMI, and Fr. Ruslan Rakhimberlinov, along with clergy who presented the life story of Bishop Alexander Chira. The participants adopted a resolution to preserve the memory of the martyrs of Karaganda, publish the conference materials, and promote the cause of their beatification.
On the evening of October 25, a festive concert gathered many guests from various cities across Kazakhstan. Among the performers were People’s Artist of Ukraine Iryna Shynkaruk and Honored Artist of Ukraine Inesh Kdirova. The evening concluded with a collective performance of the spiritual hymn “God, Great, One.”
The focal point of the celebrations was the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy at the Church of the Intercession of the Holy Virgin, led by Bishop Teodor Matsapula of Mukachevo and concelebrated by bishops from Kazakhstan and Central Asia.
During the service, Bishop Teodor presented Fr. Ihor Svytovyi with a golden cross and gifted the parish a precious relic—a fragment of the relics of Blessed Bishop Peter Oros, who was beatified in September 2025.
After the Liturgy, the Apostolic Nuncio to Kazakhstan, Archbishop Georg Panamuntill, and the Father and Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, His Beatitude Sviatoslav, delivered congratulatory messages. Provincial Superior Sr. Khrystofora Bushtyn expressed gratitude to all participants and called for renewed prayers for new vocations to consecrated life.
The UGCC Department for Information
