St. Anthony Parish in Kokshetau

Priest Addresses Sisters of Poor Jesus Child  Benedictines Community The history of parish

The history of St. Anthony parish in Kokshetau
 

The first information about the Catholics in the region of modern Kokshetau-city can be found in the second part of 19th century, but the first source where we can find the documentary information is documents of State Archives of 1946. There was a group of the believers in the Kokshetau region  mentioned for the first time there. The life of the Catholic Church became active with Fr. Vladimir Prokopiev, exiling in Kazakhstan, arrival into the region. It was he who organized there the first communities among Polish and German repatriates.

On July 20, 1977 Riga archbishop Julian Vivods sent Fr. Karol Kisielewski who worked in Kokshetau parish till his last day on June 14, 1979 to help the believers of the region. The believers of Kokshetau had not got a parish at that time. They visited the Holy Family parish of Krasnoarmeysk-town (Taiynsha). Fr. Jan Lenga now bishop of our Administration became a prior of the parish on May 26, 1981. Except him Fr. Jan Wolak, Fr. Krzysztof Erdzik, Fr. Krzysztof Kurylowicz and Fr. Henryk Sroka were among the first priests visiting Kokshetau.

Since August of 1991 the public worship, which Fr. Krzysztof Kurylowicz fulfilled, were regularly led in Kokshetau twice a month. At last on October 6, 1992 St. Anthony parish was officially registered in Kokshetau. Fr. Henryk Sroka was appointed the administrator of the parish in April of 1994. The chapel where the public worship had been led was moved into one of the parishioners' house.
On October 23, 1995 with His Grace Jan Paul Lenga's order Fr. Zygmunt Kwiecinski became a prior of the parish. The building of a new church was begun.

On May 20, 1995 bishop Jan Paul Lenga dedicated a corner stone of building church and soon that is on June 10, the first line of bricks for walls was laid by the team of bricklayers from Poland. The church was building with parishioner Victor Ivanitsku's project. On December 24 of the same year Holy Mass was celebrated in the new chapel for the first time.

Since 1996 the "School of new evangelization" which had been organized in the community of St.
Paul in Kielce in Poland began its constant work in the parish. The aims of the school are deeper studying the Holy Scripture and the active pronunce the evangelical values. Since that time the "courses of Philip", "course of Emmaus" and "course of John" in which in general about 100 people from different parishes from Kazakhstan took part, were lead by the organizers of the school Fr. Marian Krolikowski and sisters Samuela and Frances.

On January 8, 1996 bishop Jan Pawel Lega solemnly dedicated the chapel of the church in honor of Gods Mercy. This year was devoted to St. Anthony from Padova to the patron of the parish.
 On June 13-15 of 1997 one more important even took place in the fife of the parish. It was the feast of the Blessed Mary from Fatima. The statue of the Virgin from Fatima had arrived in Kokshetau from Portugal at that time. On June 15 the bishop Jan Pawel Lega dedicated new build church of St. Anthony in presence of the bishop Kazimierz Ryczan from polish town Kiece.

Translation: Irina Shirshova

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