Pastoral visit to Palo, Leyte

This weekend we visited the mission community of St Nikolai Velimirović in Palo, Leyte. Members prepared themselves and received Communion, and after the Liturgy we had the privilege of blessing Antiochian priest Crispo Holanda Salinas with a chalice set, censer, and several sets of vestments, provided through the generosity of mission partners in the US and Romania. Fr Crispo was ordained some time ago, but has had no way to purchase the items needed for celebration of the Divine Liturgy. he has always been a great help to our mission at Palo – not least as translator, since Fr Silouan does not speak the local Waray-Waray language. What a joy to be able to help him in return.

Please pray for the small Orthodox community at Palo, and for Fr Crispo as he seeks to become proficient at serving the Liturgy – and perhaps founding an Antiochian mission or lending pastoral help to the local ROCOR community.

It’s hard to get a group photo when half the people want to be behind the camera snapping photos!