On February 20 Metropolitan of Manila and Hanoi Pavel, The Administrator of the Philippine-Vietnamese diocese, sanctified the Cross and the Foundation Stone in place of construction of the new Saint Apostle Thomas’ temple in Kinabalan settlement (Mindanao island, the Philippine Republic).
The Secretary of the Philippine-Vietnamese diocese priestmonk Kornilij (Molev), the Head of the Parish of Saint John of Shanhai in Santa-Maria (Philippines) priest Siluan Thompson, the Clergyman of the Parish of Kazan’s icon of Virgin Mary in Vungtau (Vietnam) priest Evgenij Czukalo, the Clergyman of the Parish of Saint Matrona of Moscow priest Ioakim Gonzalez, the Secretary of the Administrator of Khanty-Mansiisk’s diocese priestmonk Antonij (Kirpichev), the Dean of the Surgut’s town deanery archpriest Antonij Isakov, the Dean of the Nizhnevartovsk’s town deanery archpriest Sergij Shevchenko, the Clergyman of the Cathedral of Saint Resurrection of Khanty-Mansiisk’s diocese deacon Daniil Matveev and the citizens of the settlement took part in this event.
After the consecration Metropolitan Pavel said: «Dear brethren and sisters! We came here to pray to God and ask Him for His blessing for sanctification of the Foundation Stone in place of construction of the new temple and for hoisting the Holy Cross. I am very glad we are going to do this God’s work and ask the Lord for His blessing for construction of this temple. The building project of this temple will be printed and given by father Kornilij to father Ioakim. It gives you a possibility to imagine how this holy temple will look like. I want you to pray to God to bless the building of His Home here. I want to give you as a present the icon of Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ for this temple and I hope we will give Him our lives and will be in Him and now, and in eternity. I also want that all people, who come into this temple and take part in Church’s sacraments, will have spiritual healing and contact with God and will be able to find the way to their salvation. Let’s pray about it».
