Assembly and Retreats in the Region of St. Gerard

The Second Meeting of the Fifth Assembly of the Region of St. Gerard took place in Kemerowo (Siberia/Russia) from 27th to 29th October 2015. Twelve Redemptorists took part in the Assembly from the Region and also the General Superior Fr. Michael Brehl, the Coordinator of the CRE Fr. Jacek Zdrzałek and the Provincial of Warsaw Province, Fr. Janusz Sok.
The Assembly made an evaluation of the pastoral work of the Region and of every community in such a huge territory and also in two countries: Russia and Kazakhstan. The members discussed details of the taking round and veneration of the relics of St. Gerard in the Region. (260th anniversary of the death of St. Gerard). The relics are a gift from the Naples Province to the Region of St. Gerard.
Much time was dedicated to a discussion about concrete ways of celebrating the Jubilee of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in the Region, about preparation for World Youth Day in Kraków 2016, about a common Youth Meeting in the Region, about the next spiritual retreats and about financial matters.
A discussion about the extension of the contract between the Warsaw Province and the Region of St. Gerard was also initiated.
The Superior General, the Coordinator of the CRE and the Superior of the community in Kemerowo had a meeting with the Metropolitan Archbishop Arystarch from the Orthodox Church (Kemerowo-Prokopiewsk) on 27th October in Kemerowo. The ecumenical and fraternal relations between our two Churches (Catholic and Orthodox) in Siberia are very good.
Nearly all the members of the Region were able to take part in three retreats conducted by the Coordinator of the CRE Fr. Jacek Zdrzałek. Two retreats for Redemptorists, other religious and diocesan priests were done in Russia (in Aleksjejewska and in Mocisze) and one in Pietropawlowsk in Kazakhstan.

Region of St. Regard
The Region was established on October 25th 2006 by Province of Warsaw. However, the history of the Redemptorist presence in these areas began in the early XX century. The Redemptorists from Poland, in 1908, conducted the so-called “Siberia Mission” preaching in 21 parishes of Siberia. Many Redemptorists of the Lviv and Warsaw Province were exiled to Siberia in 1939 and they worked for the Catholics in the underground Church. However most of them returned to their own countries after several years in Siberia except Fr. Basil Rutka, who remained in Prokopievsk where he continued the ministry. After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1993, the Redemptorists of the Warsaw Province started to work once again in Russia and in Kazakhstan. There was established an international community in Prokopievsk from 1996 with Fr. Anthony Branagan from the Dublin Province, Fr. Darius Lysakowski from Warsaw and Fr. Andre Moak from the Lviv. They joined Fr. Yaroslav Spoder who had been in Prokopievsk for many years.
The Region has its General Meeting (Assembly) in every year in which all the members of Region participate.
Presently: 14 priests (13 from Poland and one from Ireland) belong to the Region of St. Gerard. They work in Russia in 5 places (Togliatti, Orsk, Pionerskij, Orenburg, and Kemerovo) and in one city in Kazakhstan (Petropavlovsk).
Fr. Jacek Zdrzalek CSsR