No obstacle, not even former Soviet Union, can prevent God’s work

Published: December 1, 2007

By Father James P. West

His name was Andrei, and he was a political officer in the Communist Party of the former Soviet Union. It was his job to present regularly to the sailors of his naval vessel the glories of Soviet communism and to monitor the loyalty of each officer and enlisted man to the “Workers’ Paradise” that was the Soviet Union. Andrei took his job seriously. No one under his watch would deviate from the path of Marxism-Leninism.

Among his many duties, Andrei was to call his men together for the purpose of ridiculing religious belief and religion itself. After all, Karl Marx, the father of communism, had identified religion as “the opiate of the people,” and Andrei would make sure his men understood why.

“Know thine enemy,” the old saying goes, and for this purpose Andrei had received an official document from the atheistic Soviet government, a document he found most intriguing. It listed various Christian groups and their origins. “The Orthodox Church began in the 11th century when the patriarch of Constantinople broke away from the pope of Rome. The Lutheran Church was established in the 16th century by Martin Luther,” and so on. But one item in particular caught his eye. “The Roman Catholic Church was started in the year 33 A.D. by Jesus Christ.” Andrei was intrigued. “This Jesus Christ is the one all of those Christians worship, and he started this church, according to my government’s document. I’m going to learn more about this church,” he decided.

Clandestinely, he began his research. His interest grew stronger and stronger. Something was happening to Andrei, something that he did not understand.

Soon came the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Andrei then could pursue his interest without fear, so he made a public appeal by radio and newspaper: “If there are any Catholics left alive here in Vladivostok, I want to meet you.” A time and place were designated and Andrei waited to see the response. About 10 elderly people went to that meeting, the last survivors of the 15,000 original members of what had been the largest Catholic parish in Russia during the Russian Revolution.

“We are the Catholic Community of Vladivostok, and we want our parish back,” they soon would write to the newly appointed Catholic bishop of the Russian Far East. Coinciding with the arrival of this letter was the unexpected arrival of two Americans, one a priest and one close to priestly ordination. They had felt drawn to help rebuild the Catholic Church in Russia. The bishop sent them to Vladivostok, where they remain to this day.

Thus began the rebirth of the Catholic parish of the Most Holy Mother of God, which now boasts a few hundred parishioners, as the Roman Catholic Church of Russia slowly emerges from decades of darkness, repression and martyrdom. My parish is a “sister parish” to theirs, and our recent mission trip to Vladivostok proved a most inspiring and rewarding faith experience for all who participated.

Whenever you ponder the origin of the Catholic Church, remember Andrei. In God’s providence, the rebirth of a great parish began when an atheistic government placed into the hands of one of its political officers a document intended for ridicule. The Lord indeed works in mysterious ways. Ask the Catholics of Vladivostok.

Father James P. West is the pastor of Immaculate Conception Church in North Little Rock.

This article was originally published in Arkansas Catholic December 1, 2007. Copyright Diocese of Little Rock. All rights reserved. This article may be copied or redistributed with acknowledgement and permission of the publisher.