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.
Anticipating the Victory Day
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.
Baptism in General Santos
On Bright Saturday, the baptism of new parishioners took place in Sarangani bay near General Santos city. The sacrament was performed by the rector of the parish of the Resurrection of Christ, Priest Roman Buniel.
Christ is risen!
Holy Fire
Ambassador of Russia in the Philippines Mr Marat Pavlov and his wife had even four times seen the descent of the Holy Fire in Jerusalem on the eves of the Orthodox Easter
EASTER MESSAGE of METROPOLITAN PAVEL of MANILA and HANOI to the VENERABLE CLERGY and FLOCK of the PHILIPPINE–VIETNAMESE DIOCESE
“Glory to Thee, Christ the Savior, the Source of Life, who gave light to those who are in the darkness of ignorance and enlightened the whole earth with Thy Resurrection.” (Troparion of the Canon to the Myrrh – Bearers on the 3rd Sunday of Easter, ode 9)
Beloved in the Risen Christ, venerable fathers, dear brothers and sisters! Once again, we have been vouchsafed to reach the morning that knows no sunset, the Feast of Feasts and the Celebration of celebrations, the Bright Easter of Christ. Greeting each of you with unspeakable Easter joy, I address to you the words full of rejoicing: CHRIST IS RISEN! The Holy Righteous John of Kronstadt, in his Word for Easter, profoundly proclaims: “Glory to God – Christ has risen from the dead; the Sun of Truth, temporarily extinguished and hidden in the tomb, has shone again and illuminated the whole world with cheerful life-giving rays…” And he continues: “Do you see, brothers and sisters, how all the tribulations, sufferings and death of Christ our Lord ended? By His glorious Resurrection from the dead, by His power over hell and death… and the triumph of truth and Eternal life!” The Savior has risen – and nothing can shake our faith in the goodness of God, hope for salvation, and love for each other. The light of Christ’s Resurrection fills every person’s life with meaning, creates the foundation for every good desire, plan and undertaking.The Lord was pleased to reveal His truth to us. He condescends every time to our infirmities and gives a new testimony of His being, and the reality of His victorious Resurrection. Every Easter we rejoice and rejoice with renewed vigor. No matter how callous and cold our heart may be on the holy days of Great Friday, on the Blessed Saturday, – it experiences a feeling of joy on the holy and radiant Easter night and on all subsequent Easter days, which the Lord gives us in His mercy. This is the main proof for all of us that Christ really rose from the dead, that He really conquered sin and evil, that He really gave us eternal life.Dear fathers, brothers and sisters! Again and again, with great joy, I congratulate you on this holiday – Holy Easter!In festive rejoicing, I prayerfully wish all of you, the beloved flock of the Philippines and Vietnam, the mercy and help of God, success in the work of building parish communities and missionary preaching in the vastness of Southeast Asia, family peace and happiness. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the mercy of the Most Holy Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary be with you all!Again and again I address to all of you, my dear ones, the hymn of eternal life and joy: Christ is risen! Truly He is risen!
BY THE GRACE OF GOD,
PAVEL, METROPOLITAN OF MANILA AND HANOI, Easter of Christ 2022
Great and Holy Friday
Commemoration of the Passions of the Lord
Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem
Palm Sunday on our parishes
Athanasius means immortal
More than a year ago, a young man, Jeffrey Marmol, was dying of an unknown disease in a village in Quezon province. Having no money even for diagnostics, the relatives could only watch him fading away, and mentally they had already said goodbye to him. As a last hope, they took the offer of the priests of the Russian Orthodox Church to baptize him. They baptized Jeffrey and his family right in the ocean. The newly baptized was given the name Athanasius (Immortal in Greek). And he lived up to his name: immediately after his baptism, Athanasius went on the mend and a month later he was able to come to Tagaytay himself to thank the Lord in the temple. Today he is in good health and works to provide for his family.
The first ROC prayer book in the Philippines
The Philippine-Vietnamese Diocese of the Patriarchal Exarchate of Southeast Asia of the Russian Orthodox Church, with the blessing of Metropolitan Pavel of Manila and Hanoi, has published the first prayer book in the Cebuano language.The collection includes morning and evening prayers, the rule for Holy Communion, prayers for every need, the Hours of Holy Easter. This is more than a year’s work of the initiative group of the educational and missionary center of St Matrona of Moscow in Davao City, under the leadership of the Secretary of the Filipino-Vietnamese Diocese, Hieromonk Korniliy (Molev), nun Maria (Buniel) and Elijah Ang Aleria, who edited the final text. Dimitri Cahilig, a student of the St. Petersburg Theological Seminary, also took part in the work on the translation. The approval of the translation was carried out by diocesan Filipino priests.A prayer book in the Cebuano language will be in demand for local residents, since several hundred Filipinos have converted to Orthodoxy recently, having passed the appropriate catechesis. And the number of such people continues to increase.The prayer book in the Cebuano language was published with the support of the literary foundation “The Road of Life” and personally by D.A.Mizgulin.Cebuano is one of the most widely spoken languages of the Philippines, spoken by about 15.8 million people.
