On May 8, on the eve of Victory Day, the staff of the Consulate General of the Russian Federation in Ho Chi Minh City honored the memory of Russian sailors who participated in the Russo–Japanese war of 1904-1905. Priest Yevgeny Tsukalo performed a memorial service for the deceased soldiers at the place of their burial.

May 6, on the feast of St. George the Victorious and the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God, 31 people were baptized in the community in honor of St. Seraphim of Sarov in Lawigue (Tayabas, 100 km southeast of Manila). For many years the FMI Charitable Foundation under the leadership of Priest David Grubbs has been talking care about this community. 2 years ago, a miracle of healing took place there: hopelessly ill Athanasius got well immediately after he was baptized. Then many members wished to be baptized, however the pandemic made its own adjustments. But today, on the eve of the Sunday of the Paralytic, in memory of the miracle performed by the Savior 2000 years ago and repeated 2 years ago, the desire of Athanasius’ friends has come true: they have become one body with Christ. The sacrament was conducted by the dean of the Manila Deanery, Hieromonk Alexei (Lapshin) and the cleric of the Iveron Parish in Manila, Priest Augustin Ponferrada.

A special event dedicated to Victory Day was held at the Russian Embassy in the Philippines. After the symbolic rally, the embassy staff took part in a Thanksgiving Prayer on Victory Day in the Great Patriotic War, which was held by the rector of the parish of the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God in Manila, Hieromonk Alexei (Lapshin). The participants of the event honored the memory of the leaders, soldiers and all those who laboured for the victory over fascism, especially those who gave their lives for our freedom. The Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Russia to the Philippines M. I. Pavlov addressed the audience.

May 2 is the patronal feast of the parish in honor of the Holy Righteous Matrona of Moscow in Davao city. The secretary of the diocese, Hieromonk Korniliy (Molev), was co-served by the cleric of the Dormition parish of the Russian Orthodox Church in Singapore, Priest Dmitry Lavrentiev.

On May 1, our Church was replenished with another soldier of Christ. Than Tri is a close friend of Savva, whom we baptized on April 8. Now the guys will come to the church together, participate in the divine service, and also communicate with their friends, relatives, compatriots and show them the way to God! We ask for prayers for the newly enlightened Simeon!

P.S. I asked him why Than Tri wants to be named after Saint Simeon, Bishop of Tver, and he answered me: “For the fact that St. Simeon was benevolent and kind to the oppressed and destitute, attentive to monastic and priestly rank, a zealous defender of the truth. The Nikon Chronicle tells us that this holy bishop was “good in healing and in the books of Holy Scripture; he was a teacher, a virtuous man who cared for the needy, widows and orphans, a defender of the oppressed.” I am inspired and I want to be like this Saint!”

Worship at the parishes in Vung Tau and Bacoor. In Bacoor, the rite of conversion from Catholicism to Orthodoxy through Chrismation was also performed for Nina, who due to illness could not participate in the sacrament of Baptism in Tagaytay a week ago.

The annual meeting of the Sisterhood of the Parishes of Mindanao Island was held at the parish in honor of the Resurrection of Christ in the city of General Santos. For the first time since the pandemic, members of the sisterhood from the cities of General Santos, Alabel, Kiamba, Santa Maria, Banate, Kinabalan and Arakan gathered together to discuss the current activities of the sisterhood and further development. The meeting was also attended by employees of the Department of Charity and Social Ministry of the Philippine-Vietnamese Diocese, headed by Mother Irina Grubbs. On April 29, the meeting began with a prayer service and continued with a discussion of current social projects. On April 30, the 3rd Sunday after Easter, of the holy myrrh-bearing women, the participants of the meeting prayed at the Divine Liturgy. The divine service was performed by Hieromonk Korniliy (Molev), the secretary of the Diocese of Philippi-Vietnam, in the concelebration of Priest Roman Buniel, Priest Alexei Bergado and Priest Matthew Sale.

On Bright Friday, April 21, in the assembly hall of the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Hanoi, Priest Yevgeny Tsukalo met with compatriots and embassy staff dedicated to the feast of the Resurrection of Christ.

Easter Bright Week is a special time of the year. The whole week passes as one day – the Easter service is repeated daily with processions, fasts are cancelled, all prayers are replaced with Easter hymns, and believers try to take Communion daily (where there is such an opportunity). According to Orthodox tradition, clergy and believers visit neighboring parishes this week to prayerfully share Easter joy with spiritual brothers and sisters. This tradition has already been instilled in the Philippines. On Mindanao island, Easter services were performed continuously during the Bright Week in different parishes by the clergy of the diocese, headed by the Secretary of the diocese, Hieromonk Korniliy (Molev): on Monday – in the church of St. Thomas in the village of Kinabalan; on Tuesday – in the church of the Resurrection of Christ in General Santos with priests Roman Buniel and Matthew Sale; on Wednesday – in the church of the Resurrection of Christ in Lake Cebu with the same clerics. On Bright Thursday, the Easter service was held in the church of St. Ignatius in the village of Lambayong in the concelebration of Priest Roman Buniel. On Friday, the service was held in the church of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos in Arakan in the concelebration of Priest Moses Kahilig and deacons Raphael Frajillo and Anthony Aranco, and on Saturday – in the church of St. Seraphim of Sarov in Makalangot with Priest Nikolai Salgado. Deacon Juventinus Bulaqueña accompanied the Secretary of the diocese during the whole tour.

On April 23, 2017, the first parish of the Russian Orthodox Church after World War II was opened in Manila – in honor of the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God (the parish of the same name existed in Manila in the 1920s-1940s). Like today, 6 years ago it was also Antipascha, or Thomas Sunday. And now, six years later, the first Liturgy was served today at the new parish of the Manila Deanery – in honor of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in the city of Bakoor.