Redemptorists in Russia and Kazakhstan
In 1908 three Redemptorists from Poland left for Russia to renew the spiritual life in the parishes by their missionary work. They managed to visit some big cities in Siberia. In 1909 the same mission journeyed the Caucasus (some of the cities). At the times of Stalin many Redemptorists fell victim to repressions. Fr Vasili Rutka, a greek catholic priest, is one of them. In 1958 he was sent into exile in Siberia (Prokopyevsk) where he worked in a coal mine and secretly administered sacraments.
He died in 1991, but his ‘successor’, Fr Yaroslav Spodar, worked in Prokopyevsk and Novokuznetsk.
In 1993 the Redemptorist Fathers arrived in Petropavlovsk (Kazakhstan) and Orenburg (Russia). It was Fr Zbignev Kotlinski, who, after many years’ ministry in Argentine and Bolivia, was appointed to a missionary apostolate in Petropavlovsk. Taking into consideration the fact that an old church would hardly be given back to the catholics, he immediately set up the construction of a new one, the Holy Trinity Church, which was consecrated in 2000. The construction of a Redemptorists’ monastery on a neighouring building site was also successfully finished. Moreover, the old church, that is the Sacred Heart of Jesus Church, was finally returned to the catholics. The Redemptoristines Sisters, who arrived in Petropavlovsk in March 2001, built their monastery near the old church.
Fr Gzhegozh Rukshtello restored an old church in Orenburg. It was consecrated in 1997, 150 years after its first consecration. The college of theology was founded there in 1995. This institution offers its students the unique opportunity to learn the history of the Church, to study various philosophical and theological subjects and therefore to strengthen their faith.
In 1996 an ‘international’ community of the Redemptorist Fathers settled in Kemerovo. Fr Tony Branagan, Irish by birth, had worked many years in Brazil; Fr Dariush Lisakovski, beloved by all parisheners, but especially by the youth, organised the Russian delegation to the World Youth Day 2000 celebrations in Rome. Unfortunately, Fr Dariush was tragically killed in a road accident on the 19th of January 2001.
In Orsk (the Orenburg region) the building process has proved successful and the construction of a church is coming nearer the end. This community, existing since 1998, is the youngest one. A parish centre, a chapel and the church under construction are dedicated to Our Lady of Perpetual Help. On the 11th of December 1865 when entrusting the icon of Our Mother of Perpetual Help to the Redemptorists, Pope Pius IX said: “Make her known throughout the world”.....
Nowadays seventeen Redemptorist Fathers work in five communities in Russia and Kazakhstan. The road ahead runs into the distance. Pray that we may respond to our God’s will.
