Author: Филиппинско-Вьетнамская епархия

On February 7, Metropolitan Pavel of Manila and Hanoi performed the monastic tonsure of the nun Maria Buniel, with name Olga, in honor of the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga.

The monastic tonsure took place in the church in honor of St. Matrona of Moscow in Davao.

After the Sacrament, Metropolitan Pavel said to the nun Olga:

“We were praying now that the Lord would accept your labors, your prayers, your soul’s aspiration for the Lord, and I know that you are doing everything and will do it, and God willing, you will still work in the field of Christ, saving yourself and teaching the way of salvation to those around you. In prayer, when taking the tonsure, it is said about the light of Christ, so that those who have dedicated their lives to Christ shine like lamps, illuminating everything around them. I wish you physical and spiritual health, strength, so that the Lord and your heavenly patroness will keep you, helping you on the path of life.

I see it as a craft. Just as Princess Olga brought holy Orthodoxy to Russia, so you, Mother, taking vows, the feat of the first our nun in the Philippines, will bring Orthodoxy to everyone you meet on the path of life. And you are already fulfilling this obedience. May the Lord help you. Through the prayers of your heavenly patroness, the equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga, may the Lord strengthen you so that all problems with your health will pass by, so that the Lord will heal you for many years of service to Him.”

***Richel (Maria) Buniel, was born on October 14, 1977 in Kidapawan, Philippines. Since childhood, she dreamed of dedicating her life to God. Richel grew up in a family far from religion, but she attended services in a Protestant church. Richel Buniel received the Orthodox sacrament of baptism in 2015 with the name Catherine. With the blessing of the Patriarchal Exarch of Southeast Asia, Metropolitan Sergius of Singapore and Southeast Asia, she underwent obedience at St. Nicholas Convent in Ukraine, where she took monastic vows with the name Maria, in honor of St. Mary of Radonezh.

On February 7, Metropolitan Pavel of Manila and Hanoi, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Republic of the Philippines Marat Pavlov met with the Mayor of Davao Sebastian Duterte.

Before the meeting, a presentation of Davao City’s investment proposals was held. During the meeting, which took place in a friendly atmosphere, the interlocutors discussed a wide range of issues related to the development of Russian-Filipino humanitarian contacts.

One of the issues related to the project of expanding and strengthening the mission of the Russian Orthodox Church in Davao city concerned the allocation of land for the needs of the mission.

The meeting was also attended by: Nikolay Ovsyannikov, Economic Adviser to the Embassy of the Russian Federation in the Philippines, Hieromonk Cornelius (Molev), Secretary of the Philippine-Vietnamese Diocese, Abbot Anthony (Kirpichev), Secretary of the Khanty-Mansi Diocese, Priest Anthony Dolgushin, Chairman of the Department for Church Relations with Society and the Media of the Khanty-Mansi Diocese.

At the end of the meeting, Metropolitan Pavel presented the Mayor of Davao with an icon of the Mother of God “Iverskaya” and a newly published Orthodox prayer book in Cebuano language.

On February 5, the Sunday of Publican and Pharisee and of Synaxis of the New Martyrs and Confessors of the Russian Church, Metropolitan Pavel of Manila and Hanoi celebrated the Divine Liturgy in the church in honor of St. Matrona of Moscow in Davao.

His Eminence was co-served by: Secretary of the Philippine-Vietnamese Diocese Hieromonk Cornelius (Molev), Secretary of the Khanty-Mansi Diocese Abbot Anthony (Kirpichev), dean of the Surgut City Deanery of the Khanty-Mansi Diocese Archpriest Anthony Isakov, cleric of the church of St. Isidore of Rostov in Alabel Priest Alexy Bergado. The deacon rank was headed by Hierodeacon Nicodemus (Pirkhovsky).

During the Liturgy, Metropolitan Pavel ordained Deacon John Mahinay, a cleric of the church of St. John of Shanghai in Santa Maria, in the rank of Priest, and Anthony Aranco in the rank of Deacon. He also performed the consecration of a reader Elijah Aleria.

At the end of the Service, Metropolitan Pavel addressed the audience:

“Dear fathers, brothers and sisters! Let me congratulate you on the feast of the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ! This is the most important day – the Resurrection of Christ. Our Lord accomplished a saving mission by coming to Earth, He lived with a man, showed a saving path, suffered for us and by His Resurrection gave each of us the opportunity to live forever. And we must always remember the saving mission of our Lord Jesus Christ. We treat Sunday in a special way — as the little Easter, the great event that happened to Christ for the salvation of the human race. St. Seraphim of Sarov, our saint, greeted all those who came to him for spiritual consolation with the words: “My joy, Christ is Risen!” He lived by the Resurrection of Christ all his life. And he is for us an example of the attitude to the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. This Sunday we celebrated the Divine Liturgy, performed 2 ordinations – diaconal and priestly. I congratulate Father John and Deacon Anthony on taking holy orders. I hope that they will faithfully serve God, truly, giving all their strength so that the Lord will not leave them and the flock they will lead by His mercy. I congratulate all our parishioners, the entire flock of the Philippine Diocese on the increase of the clergy and hope that the flock will increase. On this special day, I would like to thank the secretary, Hieromonk Cornelius, for the missionary labors he carries here, helping me to manage the parishes and I give him the cross so that the Lord comforts him and helps him carry out his ministry”.

After the Divine Liturgy, Metropolitan Pavel, met with the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Republic of the Philippines M.I. Pavlov.

On February 4, Metropolitan Pavel of Manila and Hanoi , the administrator of the Philippine-Vietnamese diocese, celebrated the Divine Liturgy in the church in honor of St. Matrona of Moscow in Davao.

His Eminence was co-served by: Secretary of the Philippine-Vietnamese Diocese, Hieromonk Cornelius (Molev), Dean of the Nizhnevartovsk Deanery of the Khanty-Mansi Diocese, Archpriest Sergiy Shevchenko, Priest Oleg Gordeev, Priest Joachim Gonzalez. The diaconal rank was headed by Hierodeacon Nikodim (Pirkhovsky).

During the Liturgy, Metropolitan Pavel ordained Deacon Alexy Bergado, a cleric of the Church of St. Isidore of Rostov in Alabel, to the priesthood, and reader Agustin Ponferrada was ordained a deacon.

At the end of the Service, Metropolitan Pavel addressed the audience:

“Dear fathers, brothers and sisters, allow me to congratulate you on the holiday and thank you for the common prayer that we have made today. We have celebrated the Divine Liturgy and 2 ordinations – diaconal and priestly. Our church is being multiplied with the clergy and parishioners, and thus right hand of God leads us to salvation. There is no greater glory than to glorify our Heavenly Creator together.

I pray to God that He will bless this land with His Divine blessing and send down the Holy Spirit on those who take holy orders today. It is impossible to love God without loving the flock, it is impossible to serve God without serving one’s neighbor. And today, congratulating and admonishing Deacon Agustin, Priest Alexy, I want to say: to serve God means to serve people. To love God means to love your neighbor. God grant that our parishes, and there are already 30 of them, develop, and it is desirable that each parish has its own priest.

Most recently, the birth of the Philippine-Vietnamese diocese took place, parishes and flocks are being multiplied, priests are being ordained and trained. I pray to the All-merciful God that He will accomplish His work of salvation, for He desires salvation for all, as it is said in the Holy Scriptures. The Lord calls us, all Orthodox Christians, and says: “You are the Light of the world and the salt of the Earth.” We will bring this Light to those around us, for St. Seraphim of Sarov said: “Acquire the spirit of peace and thousands around you will be saved.” I invoke God’s blessing on everyone: help us, Lord!”

On February 20, 2020, Metropolitan Pavel of Manila and Hanoi, Administrator of the Philippine-Vietnamese Diocese, consecrated the cross and foundation stone at the site of the church named after the Apostle Thomas in the settlement of Kinabalan on the island of Mindanao, Philippines.

Since the beginning of the pandemic in 2020, the opportunity for construction work on the erection of the church appeared only a year later. In 2021, the site was prepared and piles were hammered. Recently, the pouring of the foundation of the church was completed. Despite the complexity of the project, local workers, with the help of parishioners of the church and under the supervision of the clergy of the diocese, coped with the work, according to the website of the Philippine-Vietnamese diocese.

The project of the church was developed by the architectural department of the Khanty-Mansi Metropolis specifically for the conditions of the Philippines, characterized by high seismic activity and humidity. According to the project, the church should withstand an earthquake with a magnitude of 9 points.

On December 1, with the blessing of Metropolitan Pavel of Manila and Hanoi, Hieromonk Korniliy (Molev), Secretary of the Philippine-Vietnamese diocese, performed the rite of consecration of the foundation stone in the base of the St. John of Shanghai church on Tubabao, Philippines, which is now under construction. Hieromonk Korniliy was co-served by the clergy of the diocese: Hieromonk Alexei (Lapshin), Priest Moses Kahilig, and Priest Ambrose Sumagaysay.

On the same day, a ceremony of the state flags raising were held, followed by a wreath laying in memory of the Russian refugees who were sheltered on the island. The monument is located in the central part of the island. The events were attended by the Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the Philippines M. I. Pavlov and his wife, Senior Consul Y. Pavlov, First Secretary of the Embassy N. Ovsyannikov, Mayor of the Guiuan Municipality Annaliza Gonzales Kwan, Vice Mayor V. Kabakaba-Ramirez and employees of the Town Council, and also other officials, residents and guests of the island of Tubabao.

In 1949-1951, six thousand Russian refugees from among those who emigrated from Russia to Shanghai after the start of the Civil War found temporary shelter on this island. The spiritual mentor of the community at that time was St. John of Shanghai. The Filipinos gave a warm welcome and support to the refugees, who, in turn, made a great cultural contribution to the life of the local population. Their memory is still honored here. In her welcoming speech, Mayor Annaliza G. Kwan said that she was taught ballet by a student of one of the Russian immigrants.

St. John of Shanghai is also very revered by the locals, because miracles happen through prayers to him. For example, people miraculously escaped during typhoons, and even the typhoons themselves often bypassed the island, as was the case during the refugees stay here. The same miracle happened in Manila on Sunday, November 1, 2020, when the strongest supertyphoon Goni, which was approaching the city, abruptly lost strength and went south from the metropolis immediately after the prayer service at the Iveron Icon of Mother of God parish in Manila to St. John were celebrated.

On September 21, on the day of the feast of the Nativity of Our Most Holy Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary, the parish in honour of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos in the village of Arakan in the Philippines celebrated the patronal feast of the church.

Divine Liturgy was officiated by Priest Moses Kahilig, co-served by the priests of the Philippine-Vietnamese Diocese: Priest Nikolai Salgado and Priest Ambrose Sumagaisay.

At the end of the divine service, the glorification of the feast of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos was performed, after which the clergy and parishioners went in procession around the church.