CDO Celebrates Groundbreaking of New Latter-day Saint Temple

Senior leaders from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, alongside community and interfaith leaders, gathered in a special ceremony in Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental, on Saturday, August 31, 2024, to break ground for the new Cagayan de Oro Philippines Temple.

Among those who attended the event were Cagayan de Oro City Vice Mayor Jocelyn Rodriguez, peace advocate Ms. Amina Mambuay, Ms. Mona Pangan from the Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro, Ms. Edvilla Talaroc, Cagayan de Oro Tourism Council Member Ms. Gilda "Gigi" Go, and Barangay Lapasan Councilor Ms. Shiva Jandayan. Elder Carlos G. Revillo Jr., President of the Philippines Area of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, presided over the ceremony.

Elder Revillo, a Mindanaoan who grew up in General Santos City, was joined by "Kagay-anon" Latter-day Saints, including pioneer members of the growing Church membership in the Philippines. From a handful of members in 1961, the Church now has more than 876,000 members nationwide.

"Our Father in Heaven, we are assembled here today as Thy children to express our deep love and gratitude to Thee for the glorious blessing of a temple being constructed here in Cagayan de Oro," Elder Revillo said in his groundbreaking dedicatory prayer, which he originally delivered in Cebuano.

"We have waited for this special day to come, and we thank Thee for answering our prayers," he added.

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The Cagayan de Oro Philippines Temple is one of the Church's 13 temples either operating, under construction or announced in the country. It is the second Latter-day Saint temple in Mindanao, following the Davao Philippines Temple, which is currently under construction. Church President Russell M. Nelson announced the construction of the Cagayan de Oro Temple in the April 2018 General Conference.

The temple will be built on a 1.9-hectare site along Rosario Limketkai Avenue in Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental. The two-story structure will cover an area of 1,714 square meters. In addition to the temple, the project will include an ancillary building that will house an arrival center, patron housing, and a distribution center.

Attendance at the ceremony was by invitation only, with the general public invited to view the proceedings via a livestream on YouTube.

Latter-day Saint temples differ from the meetinghouses or chapels where members gather for Sunday worship services. A temple is considered a “house of the Lord” where Christ’s teachings are reaffirmed through marriage, baptism, and other ordinances that unite families for eternity. Inside, members learn more about the purpose of life and make covenants to serve Jesus Christ and their fellow man.

Photos, Video(s) and Press Kit:  https://tinyurl.com/3eajzamp