Philippine Mission of the Russian Orthodox Church outside Russia
The ROCOR (Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia) Canonical and Official Representation in the
It is one of the two canonical jurisdictions in the Philippines under the Patriarchate of Moscow, the other being the
History
During the
In 1949, Archbishop
Tubabao, however, was and still a small, underdeveloped island which is humid, prone to typhoons, and at times inaccessible due to the
Archbishop Maximovitch did not preach the Orthodox faith to locals, and no Filipino was baptized, chrismated, ordained or consecrated during his stay. Through the persistent lobbying of Archbishop Maximovitch to the United States Congress, the refugees were allowed to settle in the United States and Australia beginning in 1951.
In August 2013, Metropolitan Hilarion, First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad, sent Archpriest Seraphim Bell and Fr. Dcn. Silouan (Thompson) to help re-establish the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (Canonical and Official Representation in the Philippines) and made the first Divine Liturgy, baptism of catechumens, trained chanters (http://orthodoxnepal.org/2013/09/dn-silouan-training-cantors/) and the blessing of the first ROCOR mission in the Municipality of Sta. Maria, Davao del Sur (http://orthodoxnepal.org/2013/09/feast-of-the-dormition/). The chapel was dedicated to St. John Maximovitch in honor of the first Russian Orthodox saint who lived in the country sometimes in the 1950s. Before departing Davao, Fathers Seraphim, Philip (Felipe Balingit) and Silouan visited the ROCOR Mission Center in Davao City, the second ROCOR mission in the Philippines. The Mission Center is dedicated to the "Holy Royal Martyrs" (http://orthodoxnepal.org/2013/09/rocor-mission-center/). Fr. Seraphim then went to Tubabao Island where the Russian Refugees took and camp. Before departing for Tubabao, Fr. Seraphim served Divine Liturgy in Palo, Leyte at the ROCOR mission dedicated to St. Nikolai Velimirovich, the third ROCOR mission in the Philippines (http://orthodoxnepal.org/2013/09/divine-liturgy-in-palo/). They performed baptism in Palo to 10 catechumens (http://orthodoxnepal.org/2013/09/holy-baptism-2/), and finally they went to Tubabao Island. On the day of the Feast of the Vladimir icon of the Theotokos, a Divine Liturgy was served in the chapel of the Theotokos on Tubabao Island. The new chapel is located on the site of the previous chapel of the Mother of God, built by the Russian refugees who lived on the island from 1949–51; the same chapel in which St. John Maximovitch concelebrated during his stay there. This was the first Liturgy to be served on the island in 62 years (https://web.archive.org/web/20160919070858/http://orthodoxnepal.org/2013/09/st-john-maximovitch-and-the-russian-refugee-camp-on-tubabao-island/).
A small group of Orthodox pilgrims made their way from the city of Leyte to the town of Guian. Included in the group were the 10 newly baptized Christians from the ROCOR parish of St. Nikolai Velimirovich in Palo together with Fr. Sava Salinas, a priest of the Antiochian Archdiocese in Leyte, Fr. Philip Balingit, administrator of the ROCOR parishes in the Philippines, Fr. Dn. Silouan Thompson, a young journalist and TV presenter, the head of the local tourist association, and Fr. Seraphim who was blessed to be the celebrant of the liturgy.
They arrived in Guian on Saturday evening. Early Sunday morning at 05:45, they made their way to the docks and took a small boat across the water to the island of Tubabao. From the landing on Tubabao, it is a short walk of about 1.6 kilometers. They walked down the same road that was used by the Russian refugees during their stay, passing the bamboo huts of the islanders on their way. Finally they turned off the road and walked into the bush until they came to the new chapel (the fourth ROCOR mission in the Philippines). The Divine Liturgy was served.
Missions
- St. John Maximovitch Orthodox Chapel, Kapehan, Sta. Maria, Davao del Sur. (http://orthodoxnepal.org/2013/09/feast-of-the-dormition)
- Holy Royal Martyrs Orthodox Mission Center, Matina, Davao City. (http://orthodoxnepal.org/2013/09/rocor-mission-center)
- St. Nikolai Velimirovich Orthodox Mission, Palo, Leyte. (http://orthodoxnepal.org/2013/09/divine-liturgy-in-palo)
- Holy Theotokos Orthodox Chapel, Tubabao Island, Guiuan, Samar, Leyte. (http://orthodoxnepal.org/2013/09/st-john-maximovitch-and-the-russian-refugee-camp-on-tubabao-island).