With the ongoing conflict and fledgling ceasefire in eastern Ukraine, the story of the Dominicnas in the area might be of interest to readers.
Visit of fr. Bruno Cadoré, Master of the Order, and fr. Krzysztof Popławski, Socius for Central and Eastern Europe, to the Vicariate of Russia and Ukraine on February 1-5, 2015
On February 1, 2015, the Master of the Order, fr Bruno Cadoré together with fr Krzysztof Popławski, Socius for Central and Eastern Europe made a canonical visitation to the General Vicariate of Russia and Ukraine. Fr Bruno started his visitation started at the community in Lviv, while fr. Krzysztof went to Chortkiv, (both houses are located in Western Ukraine).
Four years ago, Dominicans returned to Lviv at the invitation of the Archbishop of Lviv, Most Rev Mieczysław Mokrzycki with the view to undertaking the pastoral care of the university students. The brothers in Chortkiv work in the parish which also hosts the Shrine of Our Lady and the place of martyrdom of our brothers at the hands of NKVD (Secret Service of the Soviet Police) during the World War II. It is worthy of note that a few days ago, at the end of January 2015, the town authorities returned the monastery by the church to the Dominican community in Chortkiv which until now has been an abandoned garment factory.
On February 3, 2015, fr Bruno and fr Krzysztof travelled from Lviv to our Convent in Kyiv, which is the seat of the Vicariate. The main mission of the friars in Kyiv is at St. Thomas Aquinas Institute of Religious Sciences. Fr. Paweł Kozacki, Provincial of the Polish Province, together with fr. Miroslaw Sander, who is a member of the Provincial Council, also arrived in Kyiv to join the meeting.
This visit is in furtherance of the Order’s project of the restructuring of vicariates which was initiated at the General Chapter of Rome in 2010 and also reiterated at the last General Chapter in Trogir 2013. As part of this restructuring, the Vicariate of Russia and Ukraine shall become a Provincial Vicariate of the Polish Province (the territory of Ukraine) and the House beyond the borders of the Province (St. Petersburg, Russia).
In this regard, fr Bruno met the community in Kyiv and then took part in the discussions at the Vicariate Council. At present, the main focus in on the development of a memorandum which will be approved in the future. This will help to finalize the plans for the transformation of the General Vicariate into a Provincial Vicariate. According to the Master of the Order, from then onward, the Polish Province will bear responsibility for this Vicariate and also intensify efforts to enable it grow into a Vice Province.
At the moment, the General Vicariate of Russia and Ukraine consists of one Convent (Kyiv) and five houses, one of the houses is located in the territory of Russia (St. Petersburg). The status of one house in Yalta is still questionable due to the annexation of Crimea by Russia in March 2014. Hence, one brother had to leave the house and the other one keeps facing permanent difficulties with getting a Russian visa. 31 friars are currently assigned to the Vicariate
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