About

The Orthodox Church of Saint John of Shanghai is a community of the Diocese of the Philippines and Vietnam, in the Russian Orthodox Patriarchal Exarchate in South-East Asia; we are located in Santa Maria, Davao Occidental, Philippines.

In 2013, at the invitation of two Christian communities in the Philippines who petitioned to be received into the Orthodox Church, Priest Silouan Thompson began visiting the Philippines in order to serve the Orthodox faithful and establish mission communities. In 2014, Father Silouan was assigned as rector of the Church of Saint John of Shanghai in Santa Maria, with responsibility to do mission work throughout the country.

In 2018, the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church established a Patriarchal Exarchate in Southeast Asia, and in 2019 a Diocese of the Philippines and Vietnam. In August of 2019, Metropolitan Paul of Khanty-Mansiysk and Surgut was named Bishop of Manila and Hanoi.

At present the Russian Orthodox presence in the Philippines comprises 33 parishes and mission communities in the Philippines, served by eight priests and five deacons. As dean of the Davao del Sur region, Father Silouan continues to serve the Liturgy in the Cebuano Language, and travels regionally to provide sacraments, services, catechism, and charitable help to Orthodox communities and inquirers.

Most of these believers are poor – many live on only a few dollars a day. The cost for a priest to live simply and travel to widely-separated areas of the country is beyond the means of most of the faithful. Father Silouan’s budget comes almost entirely from donations from the Orthodox faithful in the US, Europe, and Australia. Will you partner with us to make disciples and to firmly plant the Church in the Philippines? May God reward you!