St. Frances from Assisi parish in Kellerovka

The history of parish St. Frances from Assisi parish in Kellerovka
 
The history of the parish in v. Kellerovka began in the first years of our century when a settlement of German-migrants who had voluntarily moved there before revolution, appeared in the region. At that time the believers built a church with tower in honor of St. Frances from Assisi on the central square of the village. Only marble figure of the Virgin was kept save from the church of those years, because in 20th the church had been used as a storehouse and then it was destroyed. For 60 years the religious life was kept in secret there and number of the believers increased with Polish deportees from Ukraine. Priests Fr. Serafin Kaszuba, Fr. Jozef Kuczynski, Fr. Wladyskaw Bukowinski came to Kellerovka as often as possible.

In 1982 the believers decided to build a church, but they had to get permission from Moscow. Lots of people of the region devoted themselves to this affair. The site given to build the church by the communist administration was far on the outskirts of the village, in the steppe. Using any religious signs on the outside of the building was also forbidden (even crosspieces on the windows could not have form of the cross). There were lots of difficulties, especially at the end of the works. The administration prevented construction of the church building, closed it, threatened and punished people who took part in building. Despite the believers finished building of the church on Christmas of 1984. The priest from Krasnoarmeysk Fr. Jan Lenga, who had secretly visited the building of the church many times and helped with his advice, led the first Holy Mass in the new church and dedicated it on January 6, 1985.

In the first years Fr. Jan Lenga, now bishop of Diocese Karaganda served to the believers who came to the church. He had to get permission of the administration for his each visit to Kellerovka, even if it lasted just a couple of hours. Later other priests: Fr. Joseph Bulka, Fr. Tadeusz Szarek, Fr. Stanislaw Woncik, Fr. Johann Tray, Fr. Jan Wolek, Fr. Bronislaw Karwowski, Fr. Krzysztof Erdzik, Fr. Slawomir Chmelecki (2 years) from Jesuits Community and Fr. Stanislav Marchak (redemptorist) worked in the parish. Fr. Przemislaw Pretki from Poznan diocese (Poland) has been working there since October of 1995.

Kellerovka parish includes now 12 chapels in different villages where specially taught leader-laymen help the priest. Reverence of St. Frances and its relics are developed in the parish. Catechization is regularly led in 9 places. The parish house with recollecting center "Favor" serves to the believers. Sisters from congregation of the votaries of Holy Maria Immaculate Conception work in the parish as well. Children garden, chemist's shop and kitchen for the poor work there too.

The church of St. Frances got at last religious look from outside with the help of tower with the cross and bells which had been presented to the believers from German and Poland and which proclaims the motto of St. Frances "Peace and Kindness".
 

Translation: Irina Shirshova