Mission to Magadan - Christmas 2009 Update

It has been a while since I have posted an update. But with Christmas only a couple days away, there is definitely plenty to celebrate.

The 1st thing is the fact that on Christmas day, Mission to Magadan will celebrate the 2oth anniversary of the 1st public Mass celebrated in the former prison city. It was held in the former Communist Workers' hall.

Fr. Michael Sheilds describes what was going on. "A deep conversion was taking place with the fall of communism. Praise shifted from the creature to the Creator. That day, we praised God and have not stopped giving thanks for all the Lord has done here. Our parish would be called the Nativity of Jesus in honor of that first Mass. A new hope was born and Jesus Christ is Lord. The Word Incarnate, the Word made flesh, Emanuel, God is with us, is the most important truth we could receive."

Many good things have occured over the past year. Back to Fr. Shields. "It is the Word that over forty women received this year as they received help with their children: God is with you, love the child in your womb. It is the Word the elderly who suffered in the prison camps hear every month at the gathering of the Repressed: we sing songs of faith, pray for the beloved dead and promise to be with these saints until they go home to the Father. It is the Word that helps the alcoholic come to recognize that God and his Church can help them to stay sober. It is the word that attracts people to the Church: the athiest, disillusioned, the ub-baptized, the young and the old proclaim 'God is with me'."

If I add nothing more, the above should be enough to show that they are truly living out their faith. Not by trying to entertain people, but by raising up Jesus Christ as Lord & Savior. & that is what is drawing people there. Everything they do is to live out the Gospel. Not the social gospel you hear so often that offers a Christ-less, Cross-less feel good hand out.

1 of the things they have recently been given permission t do is to send counselors to the Magadan Women's Center to tell the pregnant women that there are life-giving alternatives to abortion available. Sadly, these women are often told that abortion is a harmless alternative to having their baby. Over there the cultural norm is abortion as birth control. (Sound familiar????) Women that are unmarried, poor & desperate have very little education about the life they carry so they seek abortion as the only alternative. Their being allowed in is truly a great victory as mistrust of the Church & others offering pro-life counseling has kept them out in the past. Their being allowed in is truly an answer to prayer. They now have an officer where 3 trained volunteers are able to tell the truth about abortion. They are now able to help these women keep ther babies as well as offering many services to help them be successful mothers.

There are so many wonderful storid of families they have helped. 1 of those families is Misha, Nastia & their family. Misha originally came to Church of the Nativity at age 15. After discerning he didn't have a vocation he met Nastia. She had a daughter Alena. 4 years ago they married. 2 years ago Veeka was born. The place where they live is 2 rooms in a dormitory. the conditions there are horrible. The building is a haven for alcoholics & prostitutes. But it is all they can afford as he is unemployed & ineligible for unemployment. He had been a police officer but could not bear the unethical & illegal actions within the department. Nastia has a night job, but it isn't enough.

However, the family remains hopeful as well as happy. Fr. Shields is bringing the Word to them so that they are filled with hope for a better future. That hope is being nurtured through what the Church is doing in Magadan.

1 of the changes that occured this past year was the loss of 1 of their priests. Fr. David Means was called back to his home diocese by his Bishop. (FYI: Fr. Shields is in the process of becoming a Russian citizen & will be there permanantly.) Fr. Means spent 13 years at Magadan & will be missed. Fr. Shields acknowledged that Fr. Means had done many things. But for him, the greatest gift Fr. Means gave Fr. Shields was to hear his confession nearly weekly. In doing so Fr. Means offered him "the greatest gft from the cross of Jesus Christ and that isthe forgiveness of my sins."

These are just some of the stories of what God is doing in Magadan. It is important that we keep praying. But they also need financial support as the people they minister to do not have the money to keep the many works Church of the Nativity is doing. Money cannot be sent directly to Russia so the Archdiocese

Mission to Magadan
Archdiocese of Anchorage

225 Cordova Street
Anchorage AK 99501-2409

I conclude with more words from Fr. Shields: "My loving and dear friends, if I could wrap up one present for you to open on Christmas it would be a huge box full of joy. If you saw the joy in the faces of the children on Christmas Eve as they hear the story of the birth of Jesus; if you saw the joy in the family helped with clothes and food through our centers for the care of women; if you saw the joy that comes with a heart open to the taste and the goodness of the Lord as the Holy Eucharist is received for the first time, you would know how important you are to us here--both your prayers and your generous help.

This is my Christmas wish for you: open the joy that Christ is here, there and everywhere. We do not greet each otheri n Russia with 'Merry Christmas' rather we say 'Christ is Born--Praise Him.' And we shall all the days of our life and beyond."

All I can add is to echo Fr. Sheilds. "Christ is Born--Praise Him!!!!!"