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:

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.

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.

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.

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.