Mission to Magadan Update - August 2009

A couple weeks ago I got the latest Mission to Magadan newsletter. At about the same time Fr. Michael Shields appeared on Sunday Night Live w/ Fr. Groeschel (Eternal Word Television Network) Fr. Sheilds showed plenty of pictures & shared several stories of all those people they were helping at Magadan Russia.

It was such a thrill to see the young women & their children who were helped through Nativity Inn. Many of these children would have been aborted without the help provided there.

Another outreach is to what are called The Repressed. Magadan was part of the “gulag” system in which political as well as other prisoners suffered greatly in slave labor camps, with millions dying over the decades from harsh treatment, starvation, and the severe physical environment. Part of the outreach is to the survivors of the "gulag". The Mission provides various services to those survivors. The minister to their spiritual as well as physical needs.

Fr. Sheilds will be celebrating his 30th anniversary as a priest, as well as 15 years at Magadan. he started out as a parish priest for the Anchorage Archdiocese. He had been to visit Magadan a couple of times. Then, while on a 40 day retreat in 1992 he felt a call to go to Magadan. Because of his previous visits he was very much aware of the harshness as well as the pressence of spiritual evil there. After some struggles he accepted the call. With the permission of his Bishop & that of the Bishop of the Diocese of St. Joseph centered in Irkutsk, Russia where Magadan is located he bagan his work He arrived in Magadan on 15 September 1994, the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows.

In the years since he has been through many times of trial. there have been moments of dispair that he saw transformed into great faith.There were times when he wasn't sure his visa would be renewed. Now he has his "veet" (Russian green card) & plans on becoming a Russian citizen.

When he arrived there all he had was a backpack & 2 habits. He still has a backpack & the 2 habits (with some stains & patches now). He also now has several Russian language books. Father spends half of his time in prayer, including time before the Blessed Sacrament. Part of his prayer time is spent in Poustinia. The other half of his time is spent in service.

In 2001 he began to build a church for Magadan. Groundbreaking for Nativity Church was in the Spring of that year. The building was completed in 2004. Recently the stained glass windows were installed. Here is a picture of the sanctuary:

Fr. Sheilds told the story of the origin of the marble altar & ambo when he was on Fr. Groeschel's show last month. It is an example of God's sense of humor. The block of marble was originally quaried to be used for a statue of Lenin. With the fall of communism that plan was no more. Now instead of honoring a man who wanted to get rid of religion, it is used to honor the Lord. God has had the last laugh, not Lenin.

Naturally, the Mission needs money to keep on doing the wonderful work it is. So if you can please send them a donation. Checks are to be made out to "Mission to Magadan" & sent to the Archdiocese of Anchorage at the below address. Please not that any checks must be sent to the below address since it is impossible to cash them in Russia.

Mission to Magadan
Archdiocese of Anchorage

225 Cordova Street
Anchorage AK 99501-2409

& please keep the mission in your prayers. Pray esp that God will continue to bless the work of Fr. Sheilds, the other priests, sisters & laity who help him. Pray that God will bless their efforts with success.