The construction of a new Cathedral will serve as a beacon of hope, peace and faith to Christians in southern Philippines.

Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) Australia & New Zealand – in partnership with ACN Philippines – are raising funds to rebuild a Cathedral for the Catholics of the Prelature of Marawi, a Christian jurisdiction in a predominately Muslim region on the island of Mindanao, that was destroyed by extremists in 2017.  

The new Pro-Cathedral of St Thomas de Villanueva, built in Maria Cristina, Balo-I, will be a symbol of hope, resilience and unity in a region deeply affected by conflict. It will not only serve as a place for prayer and worship, but as a pastoral center for faith formation, community outreach and interreligious dialogue and reconciliation.

When the Prelature was established in 1976, its mission was centred on peace, dialogue and shared faith life, encouraged by words of Pope Paul VI, who urged the Church to rise above prejudice and promote dialogue over conversion.

However, this peace was disturbed when extremists linked to Islamic State lay siege to Marawi over five months between May and October 2017, killing over 800 people, kidnapping dozens and leaving 400,000 people displaced.

The Cathedral of St Mary was one of the first sites targeted during the siege. The church was completely destroyed and desecrated, including all sculptures, statues of Our Lady and crucifixes. The bishop’s residence and Chancery offices were also destroyed.

This left the minority Christian community without a central place of worship and spiritual refuge and the Diocese without a base of operations to carry out essential pastoral work.  

The Prelature’s mission was emphasized when Christians targeted by the militants were sheltered by their Muslim neighbors, who helped some escape the region, and offered prayers for the safe return of hostages and the end of violence.  

In the aftermath, ACN provided emergency aid for the thousands of inhabitants forced to flee, supported a project run by the Diocese to help some 200 men, women and children who had been held captive for months and supported a youth-focused project whereby Christian and Muslim students visited those in refugee camps, witnessing to the fact that peaceful coexistence is still possible.

Weeks following the siege, Bishop Edwin de la Peña of Marawi said one of his top priorities was to bring healing to his traumatized people and rebuild interfaith relations in the region, ahead of rebuilding his cathedral.  

Nine years later, the wounds remain fresh. However, there is growing desire for healing, reconciliation and rebuilding.  

In launching a local fundraising campaign, Archbishop Socrates Villegas, President of ACN Philippines, said that Christians in Marawi are still living in fear, insecurity and anxiety without a church.

“Our brothers and sisters long to meet the Lord in prayer inside a safe church,” he said.

“Do not allow our brothers and sisters in Marawi to continue to suffer, longing for a church that they can call their own.

“They are suffering, but they should not be forgotten. They will never be forgotten.”

As the prelature celebrates its 50th anniversary in November, the Cathedral project aims to be a living testament to the enduring faith of the Christian community in Marawi and surrounding areas.