Caucasus

TAGANROG

Why this man is not tired? 33 years old priest Jaroslaw Wisniewski is still on his legs during 36 hours. Three times, one by one he celebrated Holly Masses this Easter – at first – Saturday morning in Wolgodonsk in rented house for German roots people. Later at 8 pm in Bataisk near Rostov, community which included almost the youngsters only. At midnight some families are waiting in the concert hall in Taganrog by Black See for this thin man dressed in old cassock(sutanna). He celebrates 3 Masses – he is concentrated hearing people, he is singing, answering. He is encouraging people, that they being poor, pray not only daily bread, but look also for eternal life. Same time he is crossing 700 unbelievably bad Russian roads. Humanitarian German organization “Church in Need” gave him white land-rover “Lada” just last autumn.

He is back in parish house in Bataisk near Rostov in 7 am, his ministry ever spontaneous. Children shaking his arm. He is patiently calming drunken father, which wishes enter the church by force, same time about 12 people in the chapel has spend all the Easter night. Until late breakfast Jaroslaw is still there. He fall down asleep only for some 2 hours, but in the evening he celebrates on Mass more in the chapel. In 1992 some Catholics, which survived during communism in conspiracy in Rostov, they buy very poor house in Bataisk. From this place Jaroslaw Wisniewski take care 4 other parishes in the circle 250 km.

Thanks friendship and material help of some Italian priest Jaroslaw was able to renovate this house. The chapel was hand made and the design also pictured by himself. The motifs of pictures shows the Holly Russians, but first of all st. Francis from Assisi, which was restoring the church in His times. With such (Franciscan) idea, Jaroslaw came to Russia five years ago (1992) to this former Christian country – inexperienced with empty hands, but with big impatience. “To make (as he says) the faith coming backs in hearts”.

It was too much for him, especially administrative corridors, killing street noise, or unfriendly majority of Russians made him many time depressed. For these people, which knows catholic church thanks to Mexican movies, personality of Pope of from the news, only visiting former countries he may feel home. But more difficult than lack of church buildings is his own loneliness: his biggest challenge is to never stop fighting with unfriendly or passive people. “There are many people on the street which thinks, that better is selling condoms than built churches”, young priest says.

In Taganrog City Hall on Azov See seems like he wished kick back everything. He prayed 50 times near there, to be able to celebrate in the old church building, which now is used as children library, he wished just rent in Sundays for 2 hours. But the politicians in the city still forbids it. Catholics will be happy, having back former parish house, only. It is the truth that according the law, government have to bring back all the church property. The Meyer is sending priests always to the other institutions, which have no power to decide. It cost much and exhorts all the power. The Meyer offered to sell the church property, in one condition: buying for some families new flats and renovate own money 200 – years old building according their wish. “we have to pay twice even triple something which, by the way according the law belongs to us” fr. Jaroslaw comments.

„Give us more time” some person in city administration is asking us when the talk stopped in “death point”. “Until that time we were fighting with all the religions”. Except Russian – orthodox church we have in the city more than 20 more less good reclaiming themselves religious groups – evangelists from USA, schismatic groups and sectarians.

High post-soviet officials have no idea about importance or differences between these groups.

Jaroslaw Wisniewski is working in this city which is typical Russian: important harbor on Black See giving much income from taxes but most money desappair in Moscow. Most of industry collapsed, many between 200.000 citizens from December month was not obtaining their salary . Meyer office is paying local newspaper “Taganrogskaya Pravda” which is big deficit project – but they wish control and influence the contain of information. Who will be caring about injustice which suffer church community asking own property.

In 1806 Catholics, especially German, Armenian or Italian roots started to built church from tsar donations. They were only responsible to decorate inside. After the revolution, Bolsheviks destroyed the church tower, took out the cross from the top and organized children library in 1933. In the neighbor Rostov on Don, there were 6000 Catholics, church was totally damaged. Last priest Johann Lang – expulsed in 1936 to Siberia – died from hunger in 1941.

In 1991 in Moscow and St. Petersburg were only one priest, until Vatican has send archbishop Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz . Russian – Orthodox Church official started yelling: Russia is canonically Orthodox Land. But Catholic Bishop was unable to start more successful informative campaign, says Jaroslaw, everywhere, in the cities like for example – where Catholics survived, they started looking for bishop they have hearing about. He was able to give some advices, how to keep property especially parish house for installing priest. After this time in European Russia came 103 Catholic Priests – mostly from Byelorussia, Baltic countries or Poland. 40 seminarians is studying in Moscow, 16 is preparing themselves to be ordained in foreign countries. 4 seminarians came from Jaroslaw parishes.

The biography of this polish priest is a mirror of his times. As a child, he escaped from his father alcoholic, to the church. After getting education and living in communist high school student house, where he studied Russian, German and English, he started to be more faithful catholic because of good example of John Paul II. He came to Poland in 1979 and proclaimed to the people their dignity, freedom and laws.

Because of some conflict in the Army, Jaroslaw came to the prison for three months. In very small room in the middle of four walls he experienced, as he says “unbelievable spiritual freedom”. W roku 1979 przyjeżdża do Polski i głosi ludziom, że mają własną godność, wolności i prawa. He wished give such experience to the others. He wished stop atheism, which he was knowing from communism. It is why he decided to enter Seminary. Sometime is heard to believe that but from very beginning he thought about restoring faith in Russia. He was not good student because preferred actively practicing with sick or children or just praying than studying. That time was “spiritually perfect”.

One year he spend in the village 600 people. Such small settlement were 3 shops with alcohol. Many children were hungry because their parents were drinking too much. Together with children he is protesting against it, by putting candles near these houses where alcohol was sold against the law. During Lent time he tried to insist abstinence, using argument that children may be not ready to obtain first communion in the middle of Easter time – it was “communistic way of training people”, he added. As young 28 priest, he criticized some bishop who after blessing Fire Defense Car participated some party with alcohol, came time to really leave Poland.

He came to bishop in Moscow same day as the letter from canonical Bishop recommending him to work in Russia. This time bishop w in Rostov on Don so he took Jaroslaw with him. 2 days later |he became first after 55 years Catholic priest in 1,3 million city Rostov. His life started in Student House. His celebrations in the Children’s Theatre.

Not every city is so unfriendly to the church as Taganrog was. The city Rostov gave to Catholics a peace of land for free in the city park to build the church. At first this plan was looking to have no chance to be realized, because nobody has money. Unexpectedly the rich man Hubert Liebherr, a member of some organization “Church for the East”, offered to built wooden church own project – which may have 70 m 2 for some 100 people.

In Bataisk he wished to have the flat only but because of having chapel there also small community appeared, mostly teenagers. Because of that Jaroslaw got many problems. Parents of the children talked to him that he has to work in Rostov, so has nothing to do. Cossacks insisted to destroy “illegal chapel” and to go Poland or if not they promises to send him to the heaven directly.

Jaroslaw asked Moscow Bishop permission to register Bataisk as parish, which was not easy to do. Vatican prefer restoring old communities than create new ones to avoid conflict with Russian Orthodox. Providentially some lady former secret service worker started to care Jaroslaw from enemies. The reason why she does it was, because during Jaroslaw s prayer some sick children suffering insomnia got health.

Church is looking for land. Western charitable founds help also Russian Orthodox church, because most powerful Christian denomination here. Jaroslaw is using in his liturgy some songs from ecumenical shrine in south France Taize. He also is trying to visit Orthodox Bishop once a year. Unfortunately Orthodox priests did not accept Jaroslaw s invitations – orthodox ever afraid competition with us.

Jaroslaw is calling his community “the smallest sect” in the town. He is not supported. He expects wooden church for Wolgodonsk(200km from Stalingrad), where he care German roots Catholics, he needs urgent help. From February month He was unable to pay a rent for the property he used to pray , he never know how to find money for petrol next month.

Last year he got sponsored by “Church in Need” car “Lada”, so he may not use very slow and irregular public traffic. By the way he was sending thousands letters to western Catholics, mostly not answered, so he stopped sending.

Catholic Church in Germany helped by his human aid organization Renovabis starting from 1993, 140 million Mark 2500 projects in 27 countries in East and Middle Europe – Russia was forbidden, because got only 45 million Marks. It may be a reason Jaroslaw sometime feels lonely in his efforts.

As result 2 years ago he entered Franciscan monastery in Poland, because as he says now he has difficulties accepting that he may never be almighty. Now he realized he may only work until he looses all the forces. Some difficult actions he have to leave just to Gods Providence.