Pilna, Nizhny Novgorod Province, Russia, January 29, 2025
A hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church serving in Kazakhstan died in a car accident yesterday.
His Eminence Archbishop Serapion of Kokshetau and Akmola was on his way to Moscow to participate in the annual Christmas Readings when the car he was traveling in got into an accident in the Nizhny Novgorod Province near the village of Pilna, reports the Russian Church.
Hieromonk Evlogy (Scherbak) of the Holy Resurrection Cathedral in Kokshetau, who was accompanying His Eminence, was hospitalized with a concussion.
According to the traffic police a truck heading towards Kazan caught fire, and another truck passing by suddenly braked in front of it, causing the Archbishop’s car to crash into the latter.
He served in the episcopal rank for just over 11 years.
May Abp. Serapion’s memory be eternal!
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Abp. Serapion was born on July 6, 1964, in the village of Podgorny, Dzhambul Province, Kazakh SSR, to a working-class family.
From 1985 to 1989, he studied at the Moscow Theological Seminary.
On May 18, 1988, he was accepted into the brotherhood of the Holy Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra, and on July 3 of the same year, he was tonsured a monk with the name Serapion in honor of St. Serapion, Archbishop of Novgorod. On July 17, 1988, he was ordained to the diaconate.
From 1989 to 1993, he studied at the Moscow Theological Academy. On October 10, 1990, he was ordained a hieromonk.
From 1993 to 1997, he served as canonarch and deputy chairman of the Lavra’s publishing department.
From 1997 to 2002, he temporarily carried out missionary and pastoral service in Abakan. In 1999, he was elevated to the rank of igumen.
In 2003-2004, he served as rector of the Patriarchal Metochion at Kulikovo Field.
From 2005, he served as rector of the Holy Trinity Church in the village of Gnilusha in the Lipetsk Diocese and was a member of the diocesan commission for the canonization of saints of the Lipetsk land.
From September 1, 2013, he served as a cleric of the Astana Diocese and dean of the Ascension Cathedral in Alma-Ata in Kazakhstan.
On October 2, 2013, he was elected Bishop of Kokshetau and Akmola. He was elevated to the rank of archimandrite on October 13 and consecrated a bishop on October 23 at Optina Monastery.
On May 6, 2022, he was elevated to the rank of Archbishop.
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