Dipolog, Mindanao Island, Philippines, February 14, 2023
Photo: phvieparchy.org
Two new parish communities have been formed in the Philippines.
At the recent meeting of clergy of the Russian Orthodox Diocese of the Philippines and Vietnam, it was decided to establish a parish in honor of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in Dipolog, Mindanao Island, and a parish in honor of St. George the Victorious in Balili, Negros Island.
Parishioners in Balili are ready to donate a sizeable piece of land for the construction of a church, the diocese reports.
To date, there are 34 parishes in the diocese, and the number of clergy is steadily growing. In December, OrthoChristian reported on the construction of an earthquake-proof church on Mindanao Island.
Metropolitan Pavel of Hanoi and Manila, who was present at the meeting, also spoke of plans to build a church capable of accommodating a large number of people, an Orthodox center, and a seminary in the Philippines.
“Let’s hope that the Church in the Philippines will grow architecturally, but more importantly, the Church is primarily people, and we need to grow internally,” the hierarch said.
A diocesan Prison Service Department and a Youth Department were also established at the meeting.
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