Baptism of Russia

On July 28, the Holy Church celebrates the memory of St. Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Prince Vladimir, and on the same day, according to tradition, the most important event in the history of Russia is celebrated – the Baptism of Rus. It marked the beginning of the history of the great nation. The Slavic tribes became a God-bearing people, the guardian of the true faith until the end of time. St. Prince Vladimir is the heavenly patron of President Vladimir Putin, so today we especially pray for Russia and its leader.

On this day, three people were baptized at the parish of St. Matrona. Let us also pray for the newly enlightened servants of God Ambrose and his daughters Alexandra and Sophia. May God grant them many years!

Gratitude to the Missionary School

Metropolitan Pavel of Manila and Hanoi expressed gratitude to the head of the Orthodox Missionary School at the Synodal Missionary Department, Archpriest Igor Fomin: “I express my gratitude to you for the many years of assistance from the teachers and students of the Orthodox Missionary School to the needs of the Philippine-Vietnamese Diocese. I would like to express special gratitude by name to Alexander Korshikov, Konstantin Gorditsa, Alexey Bychkov, Ksenia Korobkova and Varvara Maslova. With the help of teachers and students of the School, funds are successfully raised for the construction of churches and the purchase of church utensils, educational and apologetic materials are translated and developed. Students of the School have repeatedly met and provided full support to Filipino proteges and seminarians arriving in Russia. I hope for our further fruitful cooperation in the field of Christ!I wish you God’s help in your church service!”

Day of Abbot of Russia

On the day of the memory of St. Sergius of Radonezh, Metropolitan Pavel concelebrated with the Primate of the Russian Church at the Liturgy in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra.

On July 18, 2024, the day of the feast of the finding of the venerable relics of St. Sergius, Abbot of Radonezh (1422), His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia celebrated the Divine Liturgy on the Cathedral Square of the Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra. The solemn divine service was performed in front of the venerated icon of St. Sergius of Radonezh. To celebrate the festive all-night vigil and Divine Liturgy, a platform was erected on Cathedral Square, and a throne under the shade in front of the Assumption Cathedral of the Lavra. His Holiness was co-served at the Liturgy by: Metropolitan Vikenty of Tashkent and Uzbekistan, head of the Central Asian Metropolitan District; Metropolitan Varsonofy of St. Petersburg and Ladoga; Metropolitan Pavel of Krutitsy and Kolomna, Patriarchal Vicar of the Moscow Metropolis; Metropolitan Veniamin of Minsk and Zaslav, Patriarchal Exarch of All Belarus; Metropolitan Gregory of Voskresensk, Managing Director of the Moscow Patriarchate, First Vicar of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia in Moscow; Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations; Metropolitan Nikander of Naro-Fominsk, Chairman of the Financial and Economic Department of the Moscow Patriarchate; Metropolitan Sergius of Samara and Novokuibyshevsk; Metropolitan Kirill of Kazan and Tatarstan; Metropolitan Joseph of Ivanovo-Voznesensk and Vichuga; Metropolitan Seraphim of the Baltic and Svetlogorsk; Metropolitan Daniel of Kurgan and Belozersk; Metropolitan Feognost of Kashira; Metropolitan Feodosiy of Tambov and Rasskazovsk; Metropolitan of Nizhny Novgorod and Arzamas George; Metropolitan Mark of Ryazan and Mikhailovsk; Metropolitan Panteleimon of Lugansk and Alchevsk; Metropolitan Tikhon of Oryol and Bolkhov; Metropolitan Zinovy of Saransk and Mordovia; Metropolitan Pavel of Khanty-Mansiysk and Surgut; Metropolitan Vladimir of Vladivostok and Primorsk; Metropolitan Nikon of Astrakhan and Kamyzyaky; Metropolitan Isidore of Smolensk and Dorogobuzhsk; Metropolitan Feodor of Volgograd and Kamyshin; Metropolitan Vasily of Yekaterinodar and Kuban; Bishop Kirill of Sergiev Posad and Dmitrov, Vicar of the Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra, Rector Moscow Theological Academy; Bishop Alexy of Ramenskoye, Personal Secretary of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill; Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church. The service was attended by bishops and clergy of the Local Orthodox Churches: Metropolitan Niphon of Philippopolis, representative of the Patriarch of Antioch and All the East to the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia; Bishop Stefan of Remezi, representative of the Patriarch of Serbia to the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia; Archimandrite Seraphim (Shemyatovsky), representative of the Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia to the Moscow Patriarchal See; Archpriest Daniil Andreyuk, representative of the Orthodox Church in America. Also, His Holiness was co-served by: Archimandrite Makariy (Veretennikov), Doctor of church history, resident of the Lavra; Protopresbyter Vladimir Divakov, secretary of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia in Moscow; Archimandrite Jeremiah (Solovyov), resident of the lavra; Archimandrite Alipiy (Kastalsky-Borozdin), resident of the Lavra; Abbot Dionysius (Shlenov), vicar of Andreevsk of the Stavropol Monastery in Moscow; Archimandrite Diodor (Didkovsky), a resident of the Lavra; abbot Hilarion (Goyuk), a resident of the Lavra; other residents of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra and the monastery’s courtyards in holy orders; clergy of the city Moscow. The service was attended by: Chairman of the State Duma Committee of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation on Construction and Housing and Communal Services S.A. Pakhomov; head of the Sergiev Posad City District of the Moscow Region D.A. Akulov; First Deputy General Director of JSC Russian Railways V.V. Mikhailov; adviser to the Vice-Governor of the Moscow Region, head of jewelry and art workshop “Apostol” I.S. Kharkov; deputy of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, Hero of Russia cosmonaut E.O. Serova.

Commemoration of the Royal Martyrs

On the memorial Day of the Royal Passion-Bearers, Metropolitan Pavel took part in the Divine Liturgy at the Church on the Blood in Yekaterinburg. On the night of July 16-17, 2024, in memory of the Royal Passion—Bearers, the main event of the Royal Days, the Divine Liturgy, took place in Yekaterinburg. The service is traditionally performed on the square in front of the lower chapel of the Memorial Church on the Blood. The Liturgy was led by 13 bishops: Metropolitan Vikenty of Tashkent and Uzbekistan, head of the Central Asian Metropolitan District; Representative of the Patriarch of Antioch and All the East to the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, Metropolitan Niphon of Philippopolis; Metropolitan Evgeny of Yekaterinburg and Verkhotursky, Metropolitan Pavel of Manila and Hanoi, Metropolitan Alexy of Chelyabinsk and Miass, Bishop Feodosiy of Nizhny Tagil and Nevyansky, Bishop Feognost of Serov and Krasnoturinsky, Bishop Roman of Rubtsovsky and Aleysky, Bishop Methodius of Kamensk and Kamyshlov, Bishop Vladimir of Shadrin and Dalmatov, Bishop Peter of Zlatoust and Satka, Bishop The Remesian Stefan, Vicar of the Patriarch of Serbia; Bishop Leonty of Syzran and Shigon. Archimandrite Seraphim (Shemyatovsky), representative of the Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia to the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, and Archpriest Daniel Andreyuk, representative of the Orthodox Church in America to the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, were also present among the host of clergy. The Most Reverend bishops were served by numerous clergy of the Yekaterinburg and other metropolitans. During the divine service, the hegumens and abbesses, monastics, who came to honor the memory of the holy Royal passion-bearers from various monasteries, prayed.

Construction in Kinabalan

On July 16, the Secretary of the Philippine-Vietnamese diocese, Hieromonk Korniliy (Molev), visited the church under construction in honor of the Apostle Thomas in the city of Kinabalan. The Secretary checked the quality of the work performed, and also gave instructions on the implementation of complex structural elements that are not traditional for the Philippines. At the moment, work is beginning on concreting the upper armored belt, after which the installation of the roof of the temple with a tent and dome will be carried out.

Baptism in General Santos

An infant Joakim was baptised in Sarangani bay. He is a child of the members of the parish of Resurrection of the Lord in General Santos. The Sacrament was performed by priest Roman Buniel.

Day of St. Apostles

The feast of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul at the parish in their honor in the village of Salasan. The divine service was led by the Secretary of the Philippine-Vietnamese Diocese, Hieromonk Korniliy (Molev)

Nativity of St John

2nd Sunday after Pentecost, and the feast of Nativity of Saint John the Baptist celebrated at the parish of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos, Arakan, Cotabato