http://nypost.com/2017/05/24/philippine-church-says-priest-churchgoers-taken-hostage/

A parish priest, two or three church workers, and ten worshippers were captured and held hostage as they prayed a novena to Our Lady Help of Christians at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Marawi City, the Philippines.

Fr. Teresito Suganog was leading the group in prayer when militant Muslims allied with ISIS entered the Cathedral and took him and the others hostage to use as human shields against the Philippine military.

President Rodrigo Duterte has declared martial law in the Mindanao region where Marawi City is located, the southern third of the Philippines. Duterte has been criticized by the Church and others for his indiscriminate tactics against his people in his attempts to destroy the drug cartels in the Philippines.

Pray for the safe release of Fr Suganog and his parishioners and for a peaceful resolution to the conflict.

Be Christ for all. Bring Christ to all. See Christ in all.