Mission to Magadan
A few weeks ago on a Sunday night I was watching, as I usually do Sunday Night Live with Fr. Benedict Groeshel on EWTN. That night he had on his program a Fr. Michael Shields as a guest. He was talking about his work in Magadan, Russia.
Magadan is a seaport and industrial city located on Tauisk Bay on the northern shore of the Sea of Okhotsk. It has a population of a little under 130000. Sadly, the city's origins are rooted in the Gulag labor camp system set up by Stalin. The town was founded in the 1930s. It served as a transit point for political prisoners heading to the gold mines. 1n 1991 they found an area polluted with radioactive cesium. They are in the process of cleaning it up. Even with all that is going on there is poverty. Many women are being forced into abortions due to poverty.
Fr. Michael was originally from the Archdiocese of Anchorage, AL. Christmas 1990 saw Fr. Micael accompanied Archbishop Francis Hurley to Magaden where they celebrated Mass. This was the 1st public Mass ever. In January 1991, Archbishop Hurley helped a small group of Russians establish the first Roman Catholic parish there. It was named the Parish of the Nativity of Jesus. 6 months later Archbishop Huley found Eastern rite Father Austin Mohrbacher to be the 1st pastor. In 1994 the Archbishop assigned Fr. Michael there as resident pastor. In 1996 Fr. David Means arrived from the St. Louis Archdiocese to assist him. January 2001 saw the groundbreaking for a new Church building. Christmas 2002 saw the blessing of the new church. On 4 July 2004 the church was formally consecrated. In 2003 the Daughters of Charity set up a convent in Magadan to serve the parish. Also in 2004 they had a facilitator from Rachel's Vineyard put on several retreats for women who had abortions. The parish is a part of the Diocese of St. Joseph in Irkutsk, Russia. To give you some idea of the size of the diocese, it is a 4 hr flight to reach Magadan from Irkutsk. The parish has grown from 12 people to over 200.
Magadan is a seaport and industrial city located on Tauisk Bay on the northern shore of the Sea of Okhotsk. It has a population of a little under 130000. Sadly, the city's origins are rooted in the Gulag labor camp system set up by Stalin. The town was founded in the 1930s. It served as a transit point for political prisoners heading to the gold mines. 1n 1991 they found an area polluted with radioactive cesium. They are in the process of cleaning it up. Even with all that is going on there is poverty. Many women are being forced into abortions due to poverty.
Fr. Michael was originally from the Archdiocese of Anchorage, AL. Christmas 1990 saw Fr. Micael accompanied Archbishop Francis Hurley to Magaden where they celebrated Mass. This was the 1st public Mass ever. In January 1991, Archbishop Hurley helped a small group of Russians establish the first Roman Catholic parish there. It was named the Parish of the Nativity of Jesus. 6 months later Archbishop Huley found Eastern rite Father Austin Mohrbacher to be the 1st pastor. In 1994 the Archbishop assigned Fr. Michael there as resident pastor. In 1996 Fr. David Means arrived from the St. Louis Archdiocese to assist him. January 2001 saw the groundbreaking for a new Church building. Christmas 2002 saw the blessing of the new church. On 4 July 2004 the church was formally consecrated. In 2003 the Daughters of Charity set up a convent in Magadan to serve the parish. Also in 2004 they had a facilitator from Rachel's Vineyard put on several retreats for women who had abortions. The parish is a part of the Diocese of St. Joseph in Irkutsk, Russia. To give you some idea of the size of the diocese, it is a 4 hr flight to reach Magadan from Irkutsk. The parish has grown from 12 people to over 200.
The Church is decorated with traditional Russian religious ar, including icons & has a Franciscan Cross. There is also a smaller chapel dedicated to those who died in the slave labor camps, about 2 million people. The church basement houses the Mercy Center to be used as a health center soup kitchen & food distribution center. In a recent letter I received from Fr. Michael he said that because of the prayers & support they are receiving "young women will have the means to support their child & not abort, the poor will be served at the local soup kitchen. and we will preach a gospel to those who are hungry for the message of Jesus Christ and His church." When he talks about preventing abortion, he is talking about more than just stopping women from having them. He is using some of the money he gets to support women so they can keep their children.
The Archdiocesen newspaper, The Catholic Anchor, has on its website http://www.catholicanchor.org/MMpages/MM.html several articles that have appeared in the paper. They can give you more information about the work being done there. As well as tell you of the problems they have had. Unfortunately, The Russian Orthodox Church hasn't always been welcoming to the reestablishment of the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern & Western Rites. Part of this was an attempt to expel Fr. Michael.
Even more importantly, what is needed is financial help for the Archdiocese of Anchorage to continue its work. Fr. Groeshel always ends his show asking for the viewers to help support EWTN. This night he didn't merely ask that people send money to support the Mission. It was more like the Holy Spirit speaking through him & saying that the viewers are to send money. Not a suggestion, more like a Divine command. It was something I felt strongly convicted to do. Shortly thereafter, I sent a check. & now I ask readers to do the same. You have read about some of the work they are doing. This work takes money. PLEASE HELP!!! Checks should be made out to Mission to Magadan & sent to the Archdiocese of Anchorage at this address:
Archdiocese of Anchorage
Mission to Magadan
225 CORDOVA ST
ANCHORAGE AL 95501-2409
If what I have said, as well as what you have read on the Anchorage website, doesn't convince you to help, then hopefully this blog written by someone who has been there might do so:
Labels: Mission to Magadan
posted by Al @ 2:23 AM
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