Papal nuncio Archbishop Charles Brown praised the resilience of Marawi’s small Catholic community after praying inside the roofless ruins of St. Mary’s Cathedral, nine years after it was destroyed during the 2017 siege.
Brown visited the prelature on July 10 with Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David of Kalookan and Bishop Edwin dela Peña of Marawi after the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines’ 132nd plenary assembly in the Archdiocese of Ozamis.
Speaking to Radyo Veritas on Monday, the nuncio said he was deeply moved by Catholics who have continued practicing their faith despite years of hardship, displacement and loss.
“It was beautiful to see the perseverance, love, and humility of the Catholics in Marawi,” Brown said. “It was a beautiful witness to the perseverance of the Christians there, who have suffered a great deal over these years.”
He recalled praying inside the remains of St. Mary’s Cathedral, where only the walls remain after the church was destroyed during the five-month battle between government forces and Islamic State-linked militants in 2017.
“We went into the cathedral, which has no roof; only the walls are left. Everything was destroyed,” Brown said. “We all prayed there in the ruins of the cathedral. It was quite moving.”
He said the gathering became even more emotional as members of the local Catholic community sang the hymn “Be Not Afraid,” expressing hope despite years of suffering and uncertainty.
Brown also acknowledged the continuing struggles of Christians in Marawi, many of whom lost relatives, homes and livelihoods during the conflict that devastated large sections of the predominantly Muslim city.
Despite those hardships, he expressed confidence that Christians and Muslims can continue building peaceful coexistence through mutual respect, dialogue and goodwill, saying his visit strengthened his conviction that hope remains alive in Marawi.
Meanwhile, Archbishop Gilbert Garcera, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, appealed to dioceses across the country to help rebuild the Pro-Cathedral of Marawi as a sign of solidarity.
“I encourage my brother bishops and the dioceses throughout the Philippines to make a contribution; we call it sharing or generosity,” Garcera told Radyo Veritas.
He said nationwide support would help restore the church while strengthening the faith of Marawi’s Catholic community as it continues recovering from one of the country’s deadliest urban conflicts.
The image of Mary Help of Christians, patroness of Marawi, is visiting dioceses across the Philippines through the “Caravan for Peace and Solidarity: Padayon Prelatura sa Marawi,” a fundraising campaign organized with Aid to the Church in Need Philippines to support the prelature’s rehabilitation efforts.
