Standing at the pulpit of his typhoon-ravaged church in the southern Philippines, Catholic priest Dennis Llogon delivers a sermon by candlelight to the faithful seeking solace after a deadly storm devastated their city.
Hundreds of devotees flocked to the San Nicolas de Tolentino Cathedral for the pre-dawn service on Saturday as part of the traditional Christmas season celebrations — but there was little rejoicing.
Super Typhoon Rai was packing wind speeds of 195 kilometres (120 miles) per hour when it slammed into the coastal city of Surigao on the northern tip of Mindanao island on Thursday, ripping roofs off buildings, toppling concrete power poles, and shattering glass windows.
Some people sought shelter inside the sturdy church but had to flee to the second floor of a building next door when it flooded.
Part of the cathedral’s ceiling was peeled off by the ferocious wind, leaving a gaping hole, and the building lost power.
Despite the devastation brought by the typhoon — the strongest to hit the archipelago this year –, Father Llogon used candles to light the cavernous church as he welcomed back believers.
“We’re in this journey together, we help each other, also inspired by the faith in God,” Llogon told AFP.
“There are a lot of questions around why this happened, why this Christmas season. What is important is our faith — I can see their faith is solid,” he added
