The Liturgy and Sacrament of Baptism were celebrated at a new community in the Philippine city of Cagayan de Oro.
On February 1, the Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee, Hieromonk Cornelius (Molev), secretary of the diocese, celebrated the first Divine Liturgy at a new community of believers in Cagayan de Oro (Misamis Oriental Province) in the southern Philippines. The city is located in the northern part of the island of Mindanao, on the shores of Macajalar Bay.
The service was held at the request of the believers. The nearest parish is a six-hour drive away, so local Orthodox Christians are unable to attend services frequently.
“At the same time, the number of those interested in Orthodoxy in this city is growing every month,” Father Cornelius noted. “Despite the distance from Orthodox parishes, the believers gather regularly and perform prayers in a lay manner.” After the Liturgy, Hieromonk Korniliy blessed the houses, cars, motorcycles, and a barbershop where the believers work.
Following the service, Father Korniliy gave a catechetical talk. A shared meal was also held.
The believers conveyed a request to His Eminence Pavel, Metropolitan of Manila and Hanoi, to be accepted into the diocese as a missionary community in honor of St. Mark of Ephesus in Cagayan de Oro City, with regular pastoral care.
That same day, on the shore of the Pacific Ocean, Hieromonk Korniliy performed the sacrament of baptism for Uriel and Catherine. The newly baptized couple had learned about Orthodoxy two years earlier and had been studying the faith online, but due to their remote location, they were unable to attend an Orthodox parish.
