So many stories made about st. Maximilian prophesies, especially during his travel to Japan when he made a stop in Moscow on the Red Square, he promised that one day Statue of Immaculate Holly Mary will decorate Kremlin tower. It happened! I saw the picture: Fatima Holly Mary Statue and Kremlin tower behind... it was just a picture for a moment.

So Kaliningrad, st. Petersburg, and Moscow She was visiting starting 13-th October 1996 during about 3-4 weeks each region.

And after Immaculate Conception day She was planned to visit Caucasus. Afterwards Volga, Ural, Siberia, Far East, Kazakhstan and 13-th of May 1997 She has to return Fatima.

I was so sad and surprised, why such pilgrimage was planned during winter time...just from October until May the strongest winter, snow and freezing in Russia is. Possibly it was so planned to show Holly Mary such very truth Russian face.

Maybe it was to make all the organizers and participants more ascetic...fighting during Her trip with very special difficulties, such reparation for so many effects of atheistic life in Russia. Possibly fighting with our “polish proud” and other national sins of missionary people here.

Somebody who was seeing polish visit of Holly Mary from Fatima, or Holly Mary from Czestokhova, or pilgrimage of st. Anthony relics will be surprised by simplicity of all these forms we were able to practice venerating Holly Mary in Russia.

1. Rostov on Don

Holly Statue came to Rostov enveloped same way as violin or another music instruments. Bunch of white artificial flowers with wooden platform (lactic) and sticks to transport in processions in separated box mostly unusual, because too big for small chapels or apartments which Statue was visiting. She came to us transported by Dominican father Andrew Bielat who has return flight in few hours so unable share with us our happiness or even just make a sermon. Totally incognito made welcome. Our behavior was not disturbing daily life of airport we have had no pilot to prepare the road going in the streets of the city. About the event some officials especially from friendly Christians were informed but ignored, so ecumenical plan collapsed. We were happy, some 10 people in million citizen city.

No orchestra, some flowers given by sisters, just one car Transit which belonged to Salezians, my car was destroyed few days before during preparing the trip of Holly Marry. I was still in shock, but very happy She really came and I am still alive.

2. Novoshakhtinsk

We were transporting Holly Marry to Novoshakhtinsk first. It was planned a sacrament of Matrimony between two elderly people parents of Franciscan seminarian Nicola. It is Russian reality even parents of priests or bishops had no opportunity to make formal sacrament in absence of priests so many years. In such occasion some families were putting cross on the table giving each other promises of love. Parents of Nicola were not so much engaged in church, not caring much about sacraments, even unfriendly to us especially when 3 years before Nicola decided to enter Seminary, so we were happy and surprised they agree to meet Holly Mary and obtain sacrament. Possibly Nicola was praying about it strongly. It happened just after his Patron day. So many adventures followed such decision to be in Novoshakhtinsk first. The prayer and party were wonderful real Cana.

3. Czaltyr

Our next visit was Czaltyr – most Armenian city in the neighbor. Old and big destroyed church with damaged copula of the roof which was damaged accepted Statue by kindness of local pastor monophizite ter Tadevos . He was expecting us with small group of his parishioners. Trying to open the box with the statue we broke the key so the box was opened by force and never used afterwards…We were singing Russian songs so later reciting Our Father in Armenian (there was many Armenian nationality Catholics, so called “Francs” in the group), local Pastor and me we made small ecumenical sermons, happy that just that day Armenian Katolicos Garegine II met John Paul II-nd in Vatican, making some ecumenical declarations.

4. Tanais

Time was passing fast. We were able “to use” statue only 48 hours and to bring her in Semyonovka – Krasnodar Land, so it have to visit 12 points very shortly in big south part Rostov Land. Next point of Holly Mary visit was Tanais. In the spring and summer many scientists and students from Germany and Poland come to excavate Greek settlement, but in winter nothing happen here in museum. Director was friendly to us so permitted to venerate Holly Mary. Tanais according tradition was visited by Andrew Apostle, also in the time of II world war many Italian soldiers died here…because Catholics we prayed chaplet of Mercy, possibly first catholic prayer on their behalf. People working in Museum accepted such prayer. Italians have good publicity in Russia. Russia also in Italy, I know in some capuchin Father s church in Venice they have Russian Icon venerated as Madonna del Don, in memory of Italian tragedy here. By the way Germans also have some burials near Volgograd(Stalingrad), in communist period it was impossible but now we may hear in Russia “nobody fight with death soldiers”.

Big progress happened in conscience of so deformed by ideology soviet nation.

5. Peter Chaykovski House in Taganrog.

Taganrog is near Tanais and Azov 30 km distance. Both cities gave own previous importance to Taganrog, which became beloved city of Peter the Great and Alexander the First who died here.

The small hall in Peter Chaykovski museum was able to accept 60 people, but this day came 100. Weekly Sunday mass was here from July1993. The biggest meeting was just in the beginning during bishop Kondrusiewicz visit (around 50). Other time never more than 30, so it was big success. A week before e explaining importance of such visit I proposed each parishioner may invite his friend orthodox, protestant even unbeliever. I said so but not expected the people may obey . So many time they ignored my appeals but not this day of Holly Mary visit. Atmosphere was so deep that some lady, a wife of our permanent visitor, some Ukrainian gay Alexis asked to perform Sacrament of Matrimony with him publicly. Alexis got friend of Italian soldiers during II world war as a boy so much that he trained the language and made some visits in Italy afterwards. These visits made him also big fun of Catholic church. He was coming to us to sing “Santa Lucia” etc. It was his idea to got Sacrament, but his wife ever refused to do so, even to visit community. In fact it was her first visit in our prayer but so deep she took initiative and we got second wedding on the Holly Mary trip. Second Cana one day! It was too much people be everybody happy. After praying we were hearing nice concerto of Armenian musicians: violin, accordion and piano. Good place for such performance, and happy time.

6. Azov

In the morning Statue visited hospital for alcoholics and draggers in Azov. Long time before we were organizing “therapeutic meetings” it means rosary, catechesis etc. This time there were procedures so we decided to pray in the garden, to not disturb so some sick people and nurses came. Until that moment I was not praying a Mass in the city, but afterwards it started permanently. I got know that Azov in Middle Ages was old capital of Tana missionary diocese.

After some hours we visited Starominskoye and Yeysk, in the past many Catholics and Lutherans German roots lived there. Churches were destroyed but Lutheran “kirche” survived.

We were praying that for old owners of these holly places may return. One of Lutheran buildings was used as club another as sportive hall the prison was using a part of church territory..

7. Leningradskaya

In Yeysk there was another ecumenical miracle. The lonely visit of Holly Mary in Orthodox Church. It was a silent prayer behind close doors. It was such condition given by friendly Orthodox priest, fr. Koryak native Ukrainian priest from Vinnitsa. Former secretary of Rostov on Don Bishop. Now he got small provincial parish for his “ecumenical sins”. Also for his older brother priest member of so called “foreign jurisdiction” Orthodox Church.

Leningradskaya is big Cossack town, some polish families which escaped from Kazakhstan were living there. I think there was about 30 people. I was visiting that place before to pray together with Armenians. Finding Polish Diaspora there was full surprise for me. Same as in Azov it gave me big motivation to pray in Leningradskaya permanently. Afterwards st. Faustina Parish was established there. Additional motivation was twice live risking car accidents happened to me that place. I realized that place has some importance to me. So I was returning.

8. Bataysk

I am calling this city: Caucasus Betlehem. In 1992 looking for some house in million citizens Rostov, we has no other choice for three homeless sisters missionaries, than live there in Bataysk. Small poor house. From that place started mission in Taganrog, Novocherkassk, Rostov even North Krasnodar (Stepnoye, Leningradskaya) and Kalmyk Republic. Just here sisters prepared second night staying for Statue, and it was made nicely.

Same as in Taganrog case much more than usually people came. Chapel was able to take 50-people but much more came. People was singing nicely. Fr. Edward and I got sleep…too much impressions happened and still expected us.

In the morning, sisters washed Statue because so many people wished to touch her so that her white dressing was very dirty. According Orthodox custom relic give power to another relic by touching each other. It is why we put two statues (local copy same size) face to face on altar for some minutes. Such enculturation in Bataysk. In the garden I made act of consecration parish similar text as in Fatima 1995 and gone accompanied by sisters and children to Semyonovka village and another Caucasus parishes…it was 11-th December 1996, the third day of venerating Holly Mary.

9. Kagalnitskaya, Tselina and Salsk

Kagalnitskaya is cemetery of about 20 children, which died in October 1996 in tragic school bus accident which was crossing railway in clouds. After such “accident near Bataysk” this way media called the event…all the Russia was in trauma. We was showing to Holly Mary fresh blood cemetery, symbolic tombs and sand red colored.

We was praying Holly Mary to unite sacrifice of these children together with sacrifice of Fatima children. Here happened another surprise. A year later in that settlement started big German root community with very big number of children who trained catechism and took first communion. Each Monday there was regular Holly Mass.

In Tselina where half citizens belong to “molokan branch of old believer church” (they practice Lent differently than orthodox using milk (moloko) as main food which orthodox avoid in lent.

I visited also another Kazakhstan polish roots people: family Kozlovski. I was visiting them not much time, but I was sure I have to visit them now, because…they was also prepared to got Sacrament of Matrimony. It was not easy to visit their house because the road was so bad…I just walked to their house, invited them to the car to show the Statue and proposed to get Sacrament just in the middle of the road, in the presence of Holly Mary.

In Salsk we made another ecumenical effort, but fr. Valentine, local Orthodox pastor was absent so we prayed that parish incognito, to give them also holly Mary blessings. Later this parish became very ecumenical because in local Culture Club we were praying 4 faiths in one place more less same time: Adventists, Baptists, Jehovah and…Catholics! Some of places Holly Mary visited was not continued by catholic pastors after my moving to Siberia…it is a pity but Tselina and Salsk as I understand still wait for some pastor to be restored for catholic practicing people.

The grain have to die to give fruits some day.

10. Semyonovka

In small 1000 German roots citizens village Semyonovka most of people are Catholics, it is the biggest parish in Caucasus. Caritas has here the only Old people house, ladies may sing old vespers from 30-ties. In old catholic church building also here is club, but there is also new one church made. This region we have some Silesian priests: fr. Czaplicki, Morawski and Blaut. This people were hardly working and very disciplined. They gave statue to Podlasie-Drohiczyn Diocese priests from Soczi. These priests collaborate together with Loretan sisters. In their region snow is not big in winter, so we were supposing nothing may disturb the travel of Holly Mary, but some surprises were expecting us that year. We will talk about it later in next part of text.

11. Epilogue

So this way, the travel was short fast, but full of ecumenical, pastoral and historical context and topics. Ambitious ideologically but very poor in realizing. Some time it became very comic. Any way all the time I was feeling myself like in heaven in presence of Holly Mary so the rest of the people possibly got same feelings. Priests and sisters got much inspiration to became much more friendly to each other. Most special thing was Sacrament of Matrimony, spontaneous unexpected but in so many places.

Fr. Jarek Wiśniewski – Czarna Bialostocka