On May 19, Hieromonk Korniliy (Molev), Priest Joachim Gonzalez and Deacon John Mahinay held another lecture on Orthodoxy for residents of the Bucana barangay, Davao City. People were genuinely interested, asked a lot of questions about the spiritual life of the priests and invited them to come more often.
Monthly Archives: May 2022
Shrines will be in the Philippines
20 greatest Christian shrines will arrive to the Philippines with the icon “Protection of the Mother of God”:
The part of the Holy and Lifegiving Cross of our Lord
The part of belt of the Most Holy Theotokos
Particles of the following saints:
St. Apostles: Peter, Paul and Andrew
St. Hierarchs: Nikolas of Myra in Lycia, Spyridon of Trimithus and Luke of Crimea (Healer)
St. Great martyrs: George the Victory-bearer, Panteleimon the Healer, Barbara, Catherine and Elizabeth
St. Martyr John the Soldier (defender of all who are offended)
St. Pious Prince Alexander Nevsky
St. Venerable Sergius of Radonezh, Seraphim of Sarov
St. Righteous Feodor Ushakov (Admiral), John of Kronshtadt, Matrona of Moscow
The shrines will be available for veneration as per schedule:
Memory eternal
The Philippine-Vietnamese Diocese expresses its deep condolences on the death of the First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad, Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America and New York. Metropolitan Hilarion made a great contribution to the development of the mission of the Russian Orthodox Church in the Philippines, which actually began with his blessing with the arrival of ROCOR clergy to Tubabao in 2013.
Round the world trip of the icon of the Mother of God
On May 21, the icon of the “Intercession (Protection) of the Most Holy Theotokos” with a piece of the Robe of the Mother of God arrives in the Philippines. This icon has visited many countries as part of a round-the-world expedition dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the great exodus of Russian citizens from Russia after the Revolution of 1917 and the Civil War of 1918-1922. The icon was specially painted for this anniversary and consecrated by the First Hierarch of the ROCOR, Metropolitan Hilarion. He, as well as many other Orthodox hierarchs, blessed the round-the-world relay of the icon for the purpose of spiritual unity of Orthodox brothers in the faith who found themselves scattered around the world. This journey began on September 2, 2017 in Moscow, and since then the icon has visited such countries as Ukraine, Belarus, Israel, Greece, Cyprus, Turkey, Egypt, Italy, USA, Argentina, Australia, etc. During the journey, the Holy Image was applied to many Christian Shrines on his way, including the Holy Sepulchre and the place of the Assumption of the Virgin (Jerusalem), miraculous icons of the Virgin and the relics of saints (Sergius of Radonezh, Matrona of Moscow Seraphim of Sarov, John of Kronstadt, Xenia of St. Petersburg, Nicholas the Wonderworker, John of Shanghai and many others). The icon will arrive in the Philippines accompanied by many shrines, including a particle of the Life-giving Cross and the relics of saints. The veneration of the icon and shrines will take place on May 22 at the Iveron parish. The beginning of the festive service is at 8 am. The next day, the icon and the shrines will arrive on Mindanao Island, where they will visit most of the parishes of the Russian Orthodox Church on this island within a week. On May 31, the icon will visit the parish of Christ the Savior in Tagaytay, and on June 1 it will leave for the next country. This journey around the Earth will end in Jerusalem with acceptance by Patriarch Theophilus III of Jerusalem, who blessed all those who go with the icon. The action is supported by the Foundation for the Promotion and Strengthening of Spiritual Unity, Religious, Cultural and Historical Values of Russian Orthodoxy in the Fatherland and Abroad “Under the Protection of the Mother of God”
Nobody is forgotten, nothing is forgotten
On May 9, at the Laitieu Cemetery (Binziong Province, 30 km north of Ho Chi Minh City), together with the Consul of the Consulate General of the Russian Federation in Ho Chi Minh City, V. Marikhin, flowers were laid and a funeral litany for the deceased soldiers was held. This monument to “The Russian sailors of the cruiser Diana who died in Saigon in 1905” was erected in 1995 in one of the old cemeteries near Ho Chi Minh City.
Building of the temple in Kinabalan
The Secretary of the Philippine-Vietnamese Diocese, Hieromonk Korniliy (Molev) and Priest Joachim Gonzalez visited the construction site of the Church of St. Thomas the Apostle in Kinabalan. Despite the difficulties caused by the pandemic and the political situation, construction continues. Piles for the foundation have already been filled in, the slope of the site has been strengthened, concrete preparation has been carried out. Father Korniliy outlined the front of further work, clarifying to local builders, who are participating in the construction of an Orthodox church for the first time, the specifics of their implementation.
Feast of St George
In 1945, Easter fell on the feast of St. George the Victorious (Trophybearer) – the patron saint of Russia, Moscow and Marshal Zhukov, and this showed great symbolism, since it was on this day that the German command issued an order to cease fire on all fronts: the actual end of the most terrible war in the history of mankind ended on Easter with the Victory of the Russian people. On this day in Cebu, our compatriots, with the participation of the Russian Embassy and local authorities, organized an action “Immortal Regiment” in the form of a small car rally around the island. After the thanksgiving prayer to God for the Victory, Hieromonk Alexey, embassy staff and the organizers of the action – parishioners of the parish of the Russian Orthodox Church in Cebu – addressed the participants with a welcoming speech. The participants honored the memory of the leaders and warriors, and all those who gave their lives for us, grateful descendants.
Anticipating the Victory Day
A solemn event in honor of the upcoming Victory Day was held at the Russian Embassy in the Philippines on Radonitsa. This year, on May 9, elections of the President and other authorities will be held in the Philippines, so it was decided to celebrate the main state holiday of Russia on the day of the Easter commemoration of the deceased. The staff of the embassy took part in a thanksgiving prayer and a litany for the departed defenders of the Motherland.
