On the fifth week of the Lent the service of the Great Canon of St. Andrew of Crete is celebrated. This is the longest canon including the reading of the life of St. Mary of Egypt followed by the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, and it can be called the culmination of the Lenten feats. The service is held on Thursday but if the feast of Annunciation occurs on this day, the service of the Great Canon is transferred to Tuesday.

At this difficult time, the work of the Charity and Social Service Department of the Philippine-Vietnamese Diocese continues, in particular, regular humanitarian aid visits to Laguna Province. We thank the sponsors of the FMI Charitable Foundation, its director, the head of the Department for Charity and Social Ministry of the Philippine-Vietnamese Diocese, Priest David Grubbs, and the rector of the Holy Cross Parish in Siniloan, Archimandrite Philemon (Castro).

At the training center of St. Matrona of Moscow a seminar on Lenten services was held. This time, Priest Moses Kahilig and Priest Joachim Gonzalez, together with their Matushkas, took part in it. The fathers served the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts under the guidance of Hieromonk Cornelius (Molev), and their Matushkas learned Lenten Hymns. The Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts was partially translated into the Cebuano language for this seminar.

On the 1st Sunday of Lent in the parishes of Tagaytay and Manila.

The first baptism of 3 babies was officiated by the newly ordained priest Ambrose Sumagaysay in Meocan river (Little Baguio, Cotabato). Priest Moses Cahilig assisted.