In the Philippines, an RCC cleric celebrated a festive Mass in a flooded church

Catholic priest Christian Rey Cayanan celebrated a festive Mass knee-deep in water in the flooded Chapel of San Roque in the Philippines. Local residents insisted on holding the service in honor of the patronal feast despite severe flooding. This was reported by Inquirer.net.

The organizers prepared the chapel building in the village of Sitio Iskundo several hours before the service was to begin. However, just minutes before the liturgy started, rushing water flooded the premises and rose to the level of the church pews. Due to prolonged bad weather on the island of Luzon, the faithful had previously cancelled all other festive events, so people decided to hold the service even in the flooded church.

"I cannot deny that this event became one of the saddest experiences of my life, yet at the same time it brought deep meaning," admitted cleric Christian Rey Cayanan. "I could barely hold back tears when I saw the suffering of the people and their smiles." According to him, the parishioners have long been accustomed to a constant struggle for survival and humbly accepted this difficult situation.

The Parish of San Agustin-Kaingin oversees this chapel. The cleric expressed hope that changes for the better would come in the future, and that society would not forget the needs of the poorest citizens. He emphasized that many other clergy and laypeople regularly wade through floods to assist affected communities.

As the SPJ reported, the Catholic Church in the Philippines is building Asia's first exorcism center.

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