Aid to the Church in Need: Russia: The parish of the Immaculate Conception in Kemerovo

Russia: The parish of the Immaculate Conception in Kemerovo

Posted by Project of the Week on 12/7/2009, 10:44 pm
Board Administrator

RUSSIA

Construction of a church and pastoral centre for the parish of the Immaculate Conception in Kemerovo

Siberia – this word still brings to mind the unimaginably vast numbers of people who lost their lives here in the concentration camps. It is still not all that long ago that Christians in Russia were oppressed and persecuted and countless numbers of them murdered – Catholics and Orthodox alike. Today the church bells ring out once more across the vast wastelands of Siberia and the prayers and songs of Christians of all denominations rise up once more to the heavens.

In the town of Kemerovo in Western Siberia there is a vibrant Catholic community, the parish of the Immaculate Conception. Until now the Catholics have gathered in a private home, but the chapel they have so lovingly created in the sitting room is now too small. On Sundays and feast days especially, the priest has to ask the faithful not to come all at the same time to Holy Mass, since otherwise the house would be bursting at the seams. The people all take their shoes off so as not to dirty the floor, and they do everything they can to celebrate the Liturgy in the worthiest possible setting. The children adorn the statue of Our Lady with their own handmade decorations, and each person brings his or her own individual talents to bear in order to make the Holy Mass as beautiful an occasion as possible. There are many young faces among the worshippers, and so this place clearly has a future. One young couple, who are very involved in the parish, want to marry this year – and doubtless one day they will be bringing their own children along and teaching them about Jesus Christ. Let us hope that by then their children will be able to worship in a proper church, for the parish is now at last building a church of its own, along with a pastoral centre. It should be ready within a year, Father Zenon hopes.

Kemerovo is a beautiful example of the friendly coexistence between Catholic and Orthodox believers. Last December Bishop Joseph Werth, in whose diocese Kemerovo is situated, formally presented Orthodox Bishop Aristarch of Kemerovo with a relic of St Nicolas, in the name of the Holy Father. It was a wonderful shared festival, and the Orthodox Bishop Aristarch promised to come to the dedication ceremony when the Catholic Church in Kemerovo was finally completed. Then there will be another beautiful shared festival -- this time in the Catholic church in the town.

So that this dedication ceremony can soon take place, and so that the Catholic faithful of Kemerovo do not have to wait any longer than necessary for their new church, the Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) has promised a grant of over $90,000.

To help this cause please contact the Australian office of ACN on (02) 9679-1929. e-mail: info@aidtochurch.org or write to Aid to the Church in Need PO Box 6245 Blacktown DC NSW 2148. Web: www.aidtochurch.org

Bishop Joseph Werth (right) together with ACN's Russian specialist,
Peter Humeniuk, in front of the new Catholic church in Kemerovo.
(Code: 427-01-19)

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Aid to the Church in Need PO Box 6245 Blacktown DC NSW 2148 ABN: 62 418 911 594
Ph/Fax (02) 9679-1929 e-mail: info@aidtochurch.org web: www.aidtochurch.org