Priest and deacon ordained during Metropolitan’s archpastoral visit

Metropolitan Pavel, the bishop of Manila and Hanoi, arrived in the Philippines on February 3 for his first archpastoral visit since the coronavirus pandemic closed the Philippines to foreign visitors in 2020. On Sunday, Feb. 4, at a hierarchal liturgy at the parish of Saint Matrona in Davao City, he ordained Reader Agustin Ponferrada to the diaconate and Deacon Alexey Bergado to the priesthood. Father Alexey has long served the community of Saint Isidore of Rostov in Alabel, Sarangani; now he returns to them as rector.