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.