On July 23, 2026, Metropolitan Pavel of Manila and Hanoi, Administrator of the Philippine-Vietnamese Diocese, celebrated a prayer service at the church dedicated to the Apostle Thomas, currently under construction in the settlement of Kinabalan on the island of Mindanao, Philippines.
Concelebrating with His Eminence were: Hieromonk Korniliy (Molev), Secretary of the Philippine-Vietnamese Diocese; Abbot Antony (Kirpichev), Secretary of the Khanty-Mansiysk Diocese; Priest Ioakim Gonzalez, Rector of the Church of the Theophany in Talas (Philippines); Priest Nikolai Salgado, Rector of the Church of St. Seraphim of Sarov in Makalangot (Philippines); and Protodeacon Daniil Matveev, a cleric of the Resurrection Cathedral in Khanty-Mansiysk.
In his archpastoral address, Metropolitan Pavel noted:
“I am very happy to meet you. We arrived yesterday and came straight to you today. Let us thank the Lord for granting us the opportunity to pray together once again in this church currently under construction. We shall now offer a prayer service, asking the Lord and the heavenly patron of this church to help us complete its construction, bring it to a state of beauty, and pray fervently to God.”
All participants in the service were presented with small icons depicting the Resurrection of Christ and prayer books in the Cebuano language.
To date, roofing work has been completed and the dome has been installed at the church construction site. Interior finishing work continues on the utility and residential areas—the latter already being occupied by the church’s clergyman and his family.
Construction of the church dedicated to the Apostle Thomas is nearing completion.
