Missionary priest is asking support

INTERVIEW WITH FR. JAROSLAW WISNIEWSKI,
TWO YEARS AGO DISMISSED BY RUSSIAN AUTHORITIES FORM SAKHALIN,
NOW PARISH PRIEST IN MAKEEVKA, UKRAINE.

-After being dismissed from Russia you started working in West Ukraine.

-Yes. After returning from Japan where I spend few months of sabbatical and after being dismissed by Russian authorities from Far East I accepted opportunity of working in Ukraine. It was impossible to me to imagine my priesthood out of missions, Especially in East countries. It was big surprise to me when I realized that Ukrainians accepted me. I got one year registration and permission to start working.

-You started working in new created Kharkov-Zaporozhyan Diocese, which include Eastern Ukrainian "Russian speaking" territories. Possibly it is the most difficult land to start any pastoral activity.

-Before, this territory made part of Kiev-Zhitomyr and Kamenets-Podolsky dioceses. It was just eastern part of these two dioceses. The distance to the Bishop Sea was more than thousand km, which made functioning of such a local structure very difficult, especially taking in mind lack of priests. As result many people which have had catholic roots, even favor Catholics were living in out of any pastoral activity.

-Mostly these people came from some other parts of Ukraine?

-Yes. Big percentage of them are Poles, poor people looking for job in that very industrial aerie...people migrated from other parts of Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Belarus or Lithuania. You may meet here people with German or Check roots. Unfortunately the people with pure Catholic tradition is minority here. Many of them were victims of Soviet persecutions and deportations. In fact before I WW it was a huge number of them. In Berdyansk deanery, which includes contemporary territory of rural aerie of Donbass, were 15 parishes according to existing and known statistics it was living here 27.370 Catholics. Most old community was created in 1860 in Mariupol. These parishes were destroyed in 20-ties and 30-ties. Most of church buildings were damaged. Other desecrated, survived for public civil use.

-You became some kind of specialist of returning to the faithful people and restoring them ?

-At first I started just simple parish activity during of absence of sick priest in the big city Lugansk just on the Russian border. During 2 months I was studying conditions of life and local customs.

-It was very similar, like in Russia?

-At first I was thinking so. So many similarities, but step by step I realized also some differences. In fact Lugansk is Russian speaking city, but much different comparing pure Russian cities near bye, which I have known perfectly in my previous missionary life.
First time here I met Greek Catholics. I was very surprised how much zealous these people are. I observed also how many problems here in condition of spiritual desert they have to experience. It seems like in jungle, starting from zero, creating small and poor communities in East Ukraine to testify authority of their own unknown here church. In Lugansk I wrote many articles, much time I spend in internet. I was happy as small baby because of unexpected permission to return on missions. Every new day was for me as providential gift

-The next pastoral point was Donbass, rural aerie of Donetsk.

-Yeah, during 2 months I got back my missionary habit and with a small help of good people I got back big and beautiful church building in Enakevo First days I spent 5000 Ukrainian Hrivna (about 1000 US dollars), to repair the windows. It was urgent and necessary because the winter was cold and old parishioners stark to be sick. Enthusiasm and zeal slowly changed to sadness. Such atmosphere influenced also myself, when I realized how much attention and money we need to restore church building. In Easter time I spent 2000 Hrivna to cut dangerous old tries, which damaged foundations of old church building. 4000 Hrivna coasted to produce 10 bunches which for local people is astronomically huge money (monthly salary about 30 dollars). Looking for some sponsors I spend much time and energy...Our community in Enakevo started in 1906 with 1534 parishioners. Very hard was to find new generation of Catholics, telling them that providentially returned church is not some "stupid unusual event" but Gods gift and we have to answer actively such a mercy. It was like a voice on desert�... I really and literally loosed my voice. It was something similar like story happened to Zachariah when Angel proclaimed him about having a son John the Baptist.

-Parabolic... silence.

-Yeah, I stopped producing articles, I did not any Christmas postcard. During pastoral visits to my parishioners in January I was absent home up to the deep night, did not use my phone. I collapsed into the deep depression. I wake up with a strop pain in my shoulder...realizing how strange is such a life for 40 years old man.

-It was some "red light"

-More less. I started thinking about some holidays, but I was thinking how can I find some priest to stay on my place and change me continuing working in so big attractive cities as half a million population Makeevka (legendary tsar city of Jewish Gershwin�s opera "Playing man on the roof", Gorlowka and Artiomowsk known before as Bachmut.

-You are looking very tired. Dressed same old cassock as in Sakhalin old and poor shoes...

-There are much more important problems than dressing myself and good looking. I have not enough money to buy gasoline for parish car, time to time there is nothing to eat. My people in Makeevka have meetings in small and poor chapel. It was opportunity to buy some property in central place of the city, but day by day I loose hope, we may develop our community. In summer time is so hot inside more than 40 Celsius degrees...oxygen is full of rural poisons, so praying in such a small chapel is very dangerous.

-How did you find money to survive?

-Only with a help of generous foreigners...the people who visit my web page www.orient.opoka.org give me donations time to time on my polish account and I may take them here using my "electronic visa card". Unfortunately it is not enough to plan some serious projects like repairing church or buying properties. I was planning bussy trip to Spain, but there was nobody to stay here and change me. Ukraine has not enough priests, my native Poland still has not missionary thinking. Polish priesthood is still not ready to move on mission from their comfortable parishes, East for them is still recognized as wild, poor and dangerous.
I still believe, some day some voluntary priest may come and give me opportunity to rest a bit, and visit some people supporting missions in foreign countries. Having chance now I appel again to the people reading that interview, to support my mission any way possible.

-Thanks for talking with me.