Baptism of the Lord 2004 From the Vicar General of the Dominicans in Russia and the Ukraine

Dear Friends,

At the very beginning of the year 2004 I would like to share with you some news on the life of our Dominican brethren in Russia and Ukraine in 2003.

In October, in Fastiv, we said farewell to the longest-serving member of our Vicariate working in Russia and the Ukraine. Fr Zygmunt died of cancer at the age of 66, 4 months after the diagnosis of his illness.

	Fr Zygmunt...
...holds the Paschal candle during the ceremony of blessing of the fire, beginning the Easter Vigil in Fastiv.

He arrived in the Ukraine in 1991. All of this time until his death he worked on the reconstruction of the parish in Fastiv. However, already back in the 70s, he began to carry spiritual help to the faithful in the lands annexed by the Soviet Union. Whilst living in Poland, he regularly travelled to Russia and the Ukraine, and also to Belarus, Lithuania and Latvia. He administered the sacraments. In hiding from customs officials he smuggled religious literature across the border as illegal "contraband" - the Bible, breviaries, prayerbooks.

The funeral rites were celebrated by four bishops, many priests and a large congregation of the faithful. They showed what Fr Zygmunt's quiet and kindly presence and pastoral work meant to the parish of Fastiv. The lady Mayor of the town in her speech called him "father and mentor" and expressed the desire to posthumously declare him a honorary citizen of Fastiv. And indeed Fr Zygmunt was so declared a few weeks later, on the 7th November.

Fr Jan Piatkowski, who up till now has worked in Chortkiv in the Western Ukraine has been nominated the new parish priest in Fastiv.

In Kyiv, the Catholic weekly "the Parish Newspaper" (Parafialna Gazeta) that we produce, celebrated the 10th anniversary of its existence. From a small newsletter of the parish of St Alexander in Kyiv (now the pro-cathedral), it has become the official weekly of the Roman Catholic Church in the Ukraine. Its editions, containing current news and Catholic publications, reach the furthest corners of this large country with eight thousand copies.

St Thomas's Institute, where approximately 150 lay people study theology and philosophy, this summer achieved a strong chance of removal to a newer, larger building. The commodious premises of an ex-school for officers were bought, but still require extensive renovations, before the Institute can actually move there.

The Spanish Dominican sisters are extending their house in the Nivky area of Kyiv, so that it can house those deprived children, with whom the sisters conduct activities.

In Yalta (the capital of summer recreation for the citizens of the Ukraine, Russia and other Eastern European countries), during the whole summer, concerts took place with a short spiritual introduction conducted by our Fathers. Over 8 000 people took part in them.

The Church of the Immaculate Conception of the BVM in Yalta. On the 26th October there was a concert here celebrating 25 years of the Papacy of John Paul II.

In Chortkiv, a small town in the archdiocese of Lviv, our Fathers hope for a return of a part of the monastery attached to the church. It is at present used by a tailoring concern. After ten years of our negotiations there is at last a chance that the tailoring concern will free a part of the building, in exchange for the financing of a new central heating boiler. The monastic buildings are essential for our pastoral work (the Fathers live in a separate house nearby), as at the moment the church cannot use any rooms apart from the Sacristy. A devotion to Our Lady, Queen of the Rosary, is reappearing in this church. The coronation of an old 17th century picture with Papal crowns is being prepared. This coronation was prepared just before World War II by Dominicans working in Chortkiv. However, in 1941, NKVD (Soviet Secret Police) units, retreating before the German offensive, murdered all 8 of the Dominican congregation, including the Prior, Fr Justin.

Our Lady, Queen of the Holy Rosary, in Chortkiv

 
I would also ask you to pray for our seminarians. Br Vitaliy, after making his first vows in October, began his studies towards ordination in Warsaw. Two of our brother deacons, Petro and Dmytro, are awaiting ordination in the spring. Please, surround them with your fervent prayers.

I would also like to mention to you the work of the Trustees of St Michael Mission, who work in London. They are very grateful for the prayers and support of all our donors. Any ideas for fundraising would be particularly welcome - perhaps one of you would be interested in becoming a Trustee yourself? We enclose a gift aid form - so that if, by chance, you were able to pass it on to a friend, you would be able to do so.

The St Michael's Mission committee is organising a dinner at the Churchill Hall within the Palace of Westminster. We hope that an event at such a prestigious venue will raise some money and draw potential future supporters of the missionary work in the Ukraine and Russia. It will also give an opportunity for present supporters to come and meet the committee and each other and find out more about the missionary work of the Dominicans.

The dinner will take place at the Houses of Parliament on Saturday 21 February 2004 at 7.30 pm for 8.00pm and will cost GBP 50 per person. To obtain tickets please write to Mrs M. Zajaczkowska,14 Oakley Avenue, London W5 3SD.

I hope you had a blessed Christmas. As always, so also during the Eucharist celebrated by the crib this Christmas, I thanked God for your generous help to our Vicariate of Russia and the Ukraine.

Fr Andrzej Kaminski OP
Vicar General

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