THE mISSIONS

Aid To The Church
In Russia

by Jeanette Stackhouse

Condition of the Catholic Church in European Russia

1. The Catholic Church before 1917

Christianity was introduced into Russia in the year 988 A.D. with the baptism of Prince Vladimir into the Byzantine Tradition of the Catholic Church. In 1783 the first ecclesiastical structures were created by Pope Pius VI, giving birth to the Archdiocese of Mohilev, an area which extended from the Baltic Sea in the West to the Bering sea in the Far East, the largest archdiocese in the world.

Before the Russian Revolution in 1917, there were one hundred and fifty Catholic parishes in European Russia (presently 4 million sq. km.), and the total number of faithful is estimated to have been over 500,000. The Catholic Church had two functioning seminaries, one in St. Petersburg and the other in Saratov. St. Petersburg was also home to the Theological Academy and over 72 Catholic schools. In Moscow alone, 27 Catholic schools existed before the Revolution.

2. The Catholic Church after 1917

"The philosophical basis of Marxism is dialectic materialism ... materialism that is absolutely atheistic, and resolutely opposed to all religion."

(Vladimir I. Lenin Euvres t. XV. page 371)

"The Communist party cannot look on without interest and as a neutral observer as long as religion continues to exist. But it deems it necessary to wage an incisive and systematic propaganda war against it."

(Central Committee Resolution November 10, 1954 -undersigned by the Secretary General of the Central Committee, Nikita Khrushchev).

After the dramatic events of October 1917 and the arrival of the brutal Bolshevik regime, the Catholic and Orthodox Churches in Russia were relentlessly persecuted. Both were denied the liberty to worship and practice their faith. Bishops, priests, and laity were tortured and murdered in the millions for "the good of the people." Religious education ceased, and hundreds of associations were created in order to propagate atheism among the young in Russia; thus was the Faith stolen from Russia's youth. Fear and mistrust were induced even among family members. Churches were desecrated and profaned; numerous turned into museums of atheism, bread and milk factories, chicken-coups, stables, offices and warehouses for the Communist Party propaganda machine. Of the 150 Catholic churches in existence in European Russia alone, all but two were shut down by the communists, and all religious congregations were disbanded. In summary, through genocide and enslavement, Russia was reduced to a vast spiritual desert. Of the seventy-two Catholic schools existing in Petersburg alone none were left standing. Of the 28 Catholic schools existing in Moscow, all were destroyed. Bishops, priest and religious were murdered in the tens of thousands all throughout Russia.

Aid To The Church In Russia

Aid to the Church in Russia (ACR) is a non-profit organization established in the U.S. to provide a secure and authorized instrument that can help meet the enormous needs of the Church in Russia. Aid to the Church in Russia seeks to fund and implement initiatives and projects devoted to the Re-Christianization of Russia with the blessing of Archbishop Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz (Apostolic Administrator of European Russia), Joseph Werth S.J. (Apostolic Administrator of Siberia), Bishop Jan Pavel Lenga (Apostolic Administrator of Kazakhstan) -and with the full support and encouragement of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops. Aid to the Church in Russia seeks to build bridges between East and West, so that spiritual, material and cultural forces may effectively be brought together for the reconstruction of a Christian Nation in Russia. ACR works under the firm conviction that the time has now been given to help realize what was literally impossible over 70 years of communists repression.

There are very important reasons why we as followers of Christ must immediately respond to the spiritual and bodily needs of our brothers and sisters in Russia. The unique historical moment that Russia is living is one that we have been awaiting for decades. Fundamental reasons why ACR believes we must work on behalf of Russia:

A. Mary's Words from Heaven

On July 13, 1917, Our Lady appeared in Fatima, Portugal. She told those little ones to whom she appeared:

You have seen hell, where the souls of sinners go. It is to save them that God wants to establish in the world devotion to my Immaculate Heart. If you do what I tell you, many souls will be saved, and there will be peace. This war will end, but if men do not refrain from offending God, another and more terrible war will begin. And when you see a night illumined by a strange and an unknown light, you will know that it is the sign that God gives you that He is about to punish the world with another war and with hunger, and by the persecution of the Church and the Holy Father. I shall come to the world to ask that Russia be consecrated to my Immaculate Heart, and I shall ask that on the first Saturday of every month Communion of reparation be made in atonement for the sins of the world.

If my wishes are fulfilled, Russia will be converted, and there will be peace; if not, then Russia will spread her errors throughout the world, bringing new wars and persecutions of the Church; the good will be martyred, and the Holy Father will have much to suffer: certain nations will be annihilated, but in the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph and The Holy Father will consecrate Russia to me, and she will be converted, and the world will enjoy a period of peace (Fatima, 1917; emphasis added).

No one could have imagined the devastating consequences of our failure to heed Our Lady's call in Fatima. What is certain is that all that she said availed in the most dramatic and terrible events probably of our history. From the unspeakable horrors of WWII - to the brutal enslavement and annihilation of nations under the Soviet empire - to the systematic starvation and execution of millions - to the relentless persecution of Christianity and the dramatic assassination attempt of Pope John Paul II in St. Peter's Square, precisely on May 13th - the Feast Day of Our Lady of Fatima.

All the promises except the period of peace on earth linked to the conversion of Russia have tragically come to pass. Only God knows, when we will experience a time of peace on earth. What is certain is that all that Our Lady said, availed in the most dramatic and terrible events probably of our history. We now find ourselves in a most extraordinary manner, participants in the fulfillment of this prophecy. Therefore we must gather up our strength to put our hands to the plow and not look back again.

B. Because the Reconstruction of the Common Good Is the Sacred Duty of All Christians.

In the wake of the backwards economic and social experiment that Communism was, lies the destroyed lives of millions of people across the nation. Social structures, education, the family and basic values of civilized society have been trampled upon. It is now urgent that we assist the reconstruction of a new and stable society in Russia. The Second Vatican Council stated:

Let everyone consider it his sacred duty to count social obligations among man's chief duties today and observe them as such. For the more closely the world comes together, the more widely do men's obligations transcend particular groups and gradually extend to the whole world. This will be realized only if individuals and groups practice moral and social virtues and foster them in social living. Then, under the necessary help of divine grace, there will arise a generation of new men, the molders of a new humanity (Gaudium et Spes, no. 30).

C. Because It is Urgent to Work for the Unity of all Christians.

It is imperative that the Catholic Church in Russia labor, sacrifice and pray to attain full communion particularly with the Orthodox church. It is through Christian unity that ultimate peace and salvation will be won for the world. But even to this day we witness the painful division of the Church and the obstacle it poses those who seek truth and the will of God. States the Second Vatican Council, "... such division openly contradicts the will of Christ, scandalizes the world, and damages that most holy cause, the preaching of the Gospel to every creature" (Decree on Ecumenism, no. 1).

If Christians who are called by God to be a sign of fraternal love and unity are divided, how can they then witness effectively to the truth of the Gospel before the eyes of this unbelieving world? In the profession of their common faith in Christ, the Christians in Russia must stand as a witness of the unity that Christ desired. The Orthodox and the Catholic Church have a mission and a vocation to unity, a reality greatly desired by Christ, and together they must stand as witnesses to this unity. Russia, as the meeting place of these two sister churches, presents an unmistakably providential opportunity to proclaim and realize this unity.

However, it is absolutely indispensable, in order to attain and perpetuate the gift of unity in the Church, that the Roman Catholic Church not merely be present in European Russia. The Roman Catholic Church must actively foster fraternal love, in every dimension of life in Russia, with all the members of the Orthodox Church, so that the painful wounds of history may be healed.

D. Because The Threat of Communism Lingers Yet in the Minds and Hearts of Millions

Seventy four years of Communism have devastated much of the spiritual, moral and social horizon of Russia. The death-dealing folly of Communism must not be forgotten or quickly dismissed. Russia and the world must witness to the fact that Communism and its ideology is a sure path towards the self-destruction of a nation. As long as Communism exists as a possible way of life, peace in our world will never be secured. Alexander Solzhenitsyn, the great Russian author, has said: " Time has finally run out for communism. But its concrete edifice has not yet crumbled. And we must take care not to be crushed beneath its rubble instead of gaining liberty."

E. Because Dangerous Winds Are Blowing From the West

The nominal collapse of the communist regime has also opened the doors to other ideologies and patterns of living that are truly devastating to the Russian people. Many have come to Russia and the East to prey upon the receptivity of the people, the innocence of the young, and the confusion of the Russian transition. Licentious living and dangerous trades such as pornography are freely entering Russia and the East, placing the precious freedom for which the Russian people fought so heroically, in great peril. We must help prevent these destructive vices which have nearly vanquished the faith in the West, from obscuring the path of the Russian people.

F. Because of The Foreign Invasion of Religious Sects

In addition we must reach Russia because religious sects of all types, taking advantage of the spiritual vacuum in Russia, are expanding in the ex-Soviet territories; and given their immense resources for propaganda, they present a real threat to the authentic re-Christianization of Russia.

G. "For the Love of Christ Impels Us"

So much suffering. Such unspeakable violence, hatred and brutality unleashed on the innocent. So many terrible and agonizing years for millions of men, women, and children, who endured for over 70 years the cruelty of the communist regime. Yet somehow the Russians, and all the peoples under Soviet domination, managed to keep the precious and most sacred light of the Faith alive. Everything was done to destroy and efface from them the image and memory of God, and yet they kept the faith.

Is it possible then, that after we have witnessed their inextinguishable faith, their heroic courage, their unbreakable wills and immense desire to live, that we will not press on, gathering up all our strength, spiritual and material, to aid them in completion of what they, at such great cost, have already begun since the fall of the communist regime?

Is it possible that, before God and the world, we, who have spoken and written, prayed and sacrificed on behalf of their freedom, will not do all that is necessary to help them secure their true liberty and dignity?

May the woe of St. Paul reverberate in the depths of our hearts: "It is the spirit who impels us to proclaim the great works of God: For if I preach the Gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel!" (1 Cor 9:16).

Furthermore, states the Holy Father, "Those who are incorporated into the Catholic Church ought to sense their privilege and for that very reason their greater obligation of bearing witness to the faith and to the Christian life as a service to their brothers and sisters and as a fitting response to God. They should ever be mindful that 'they owe their distinguished status not to their own merits, but to Christ's special grace; and if they fail to respond to this grace in thought, word and deed, not only will they not be saved, but they will be judged more severely'" (Mission of the Redeemer, no. 11).

Catholics and Orthodox in Russia, are awaiting the reconstruction of the spiritual and sacramental life of the Church. We owe a duty of moral, spiritual and financial support, to these long suffering brethren who have lost so much for the faith.

H. "The Blood of Martyrs is the Seed of the Church" (Tertullian)

How can one respond when confronted with the sacrifice and love that the peoples of Russia have endured for our salvation? For we know by faith that all Christians are members of the Mystical Body of Christ; and that if one part suffers, the whole Body suffers with it.

If we truly believe our Faith, if we believe that we indeed form one Mystical Body in Christ, then we must believe nothing else than that the Russian people have been martyrs for us. We must believe that their blood has nourished our Church; that it has given us graces in order to receive priestly vocations while in Russia hundreds were impeded from becoming priests; we have received hundreds of bishops while Russia lived without one for over 30 years; we have been blessed with millions of lay faithful, while in Russia most perished in death camps of cold, exhaustion, hunger and by execution. We were granted parishes and churches in the thousands; and schools in which to teach our children the truth. In Russia all religious instruction was forbidden and the children and youth were trained and schooled in atheism. Moreover, we have been given the temporal justice and harmony we have come to take for granted. Somehow we owe the Russian people a great debt of love and suffering.

Therefore, the burning question is how we can repay this debt. The answer is that we must repay it by giving in the same measure as we have received. Life for life. To the gift of life that they have made for our sake, we must now respond with ardent prayer, imploring Our Lord that we too may be willing and able to sacrifice and die to self on their behalf.

What Must Be Done

A. Adopt a Seminarian Fund

Aid to the Church in Russia has established the Fund: "Adopt a Seminarian in Russia," whereby prayer groups, families, parishes, corporations and individuals may undertake the wonderful enterprise of adopting one of the seminarians from the first generation of priests in Russia since 1917. We intend to make this possible by a one hundred dollar monthly contribution to our bishops for every one of their men. No doubt that on this first generation of priests so much of the hopes for Russia will rest.

B. The Reconstruction and Renovation of Queen of Apostles Seminary

Archbishop Kondrusiewicz has referred to the seminary as the "heart of the dioceses and the greatest need of the Russian Church at present." Funds are greatly needed to supply everything from an adequate chapel to the most basic kitchen facilities. In the recent past, seminarians, professors, and bishops alike were forced to purchase meals from the nearby Red Army cafeteria. This unique seminary will provide for the formation of the entire clergy of the Apostolic Territories of European Russia, Siberia, and Kazahkstan.

C. Subsidy Program for the Religious Men and Women in Russia

The religious men and women currently working in Russia live in very difficult circumstances struggling to make ends meet with the little funds available to them. Women religious particularly suffer in this regard since it is less common for them to receive stipends from the faithful. The Bishops have estimated that $150 dollars a month would make a very significant difference in their lives and work on behalf of Russia.

D. ACR Seeks to Increase Awareness of the Needs and Hopes and Life of the Church in Russia in the Western World.

ACR seeks to promote through concerted media efforts Christian values in Russian society. ACR makes the needs of the Church in Russia known through the publishing of written material concerning the efforts of the Church in Russia.

E. ACR is Trying Hard to Make it Possible for Others to Serve in Russia

ACR seeks to help in the training and sponsorship of highly competent men and women who will devote their lives to the re-Christianization in Russia.

F. ACR Seeks to Cooperate and Assist with the Pastoral Needs of the Orthodox Church in Russia as far as this will be possible.

According to the directives of the Second Vatican Council and the Ecumenical and Evangelizing policy of the Holy See, ACR will strive, pray and actively seek to build bridges of communion and dialogue with the Russian Orthodox church. Creating thereby, true bonds of charity and peace between East and West.

Conclusion

Until 1991 not a single one of these goals was achievable. Few even dared to dream them. Today we not only have the ability, with the grace of God, but also the grave responsibility to do all that must be done in Russia. During these years of communism the world prayed earnestly that the Russian people would survive and that one day it would be possible to rebuild a Christian nation. The people have miraculously survived, but millions have lost all hope and direction. It has been left to each one of us to be the eyes, hands, and feet of Our Lord as we care for those who have provided mysteriously in the Mercy of God so many blessings to our church in the West.

In this holy mission much is needed. Above all else Aid to the Church in Russia asks for your prayers and sacrifices. Not one of these efforts can succeed without the infinite value of humble prayers and selflessness. So too are financial donations urgently needed and requested of you. Our Bishops and the faithful in Russia need your help. How can the bishops enact and further their God given mission, if they lack the basic material means to do so? Today we have not only the Russian people looking West for help, but also the holy request of Our Lady to strive for the re-Christianization of Russia. We cannot abandon them or expect someone else to take care of their great needs. This task belongs to each one of us.

The Father, Creator of time, has certainly granted us the precious opportunity to do what was not possible for decades and which may never be possible again. Now is the acceptable time. It is true that the work that must be done is enormous, but this should neither surprise nor deter us. We know that the road to Heaven is narrow and difficult.

Let us trust that God never asks anything of us that we cannot complete with His grace. The work in Russia is indeed a race against time, because our lives are short and fleeting. It is a race against time, because the winds of materialism and practical atheism are flowing into the East at a very rapid pace. It is a race against time, because man without Christ and the Gospel runs an extremely dangerous course of self destruction. In the end, the only thing that will count are the things that we did for God and for our brothers and sisters.

May the love of God grant us a vision of faith and hope that we may be willing to heroically sacrifice today from the tremendous spiritual and material abundance that we have received. "From those to whom God gives the most, He will expect the most."

"I myself see Christianity today as the only living spiritual force capable of undertaking the spiritual healing of Russia."

(Alexander Solzhenitsyn
- Letter to the Soviet Leaders).

If you like to help with this mission please send your donations to:

Aid to the Church in Russia

P.O. Box 723

Vienna, Virginia, 22183

United States

Phone/fax: 703- 319- 1535

Any spiritual donations that you send to us are kept at our main office. These prayers and sacrifices are also highly appreciated.

Jeanette Stackhouse is a member of Aid To The Church In Russia.