On the occasion of the celebrating the prior of the parish fr.Kazimir Guzik OFMCap gave the Governor one of the oldest icon of the Holy Virgin Mary made by the first Christians. In its turn Viktor Bondar presented to the parish the icon of St.Nicholas.
The celebration began in the morning, when the procession marched out from the chapel in Komsomolska st. to the temple in Karl Marx Av. Including the local parishioners there were a lot of guests among the processionaries, who came from different places of the Ukraine. Walking down the central avenue of Dnipropetrovsk, they sang the songs of joy and glorification. Even the ruins of the temple, its destroyed roof and burnt walls couldn’t injure their happiness. Inside of the holy place they could see the figure of Resurrected Christ stood on a huge heap of rubbish, that was left by the previos ”owner”.
Before the worship there was a press conference for journalists of local and regional TV channels and printed sources.
Among the guests there were the first prior of Dnipropetrovsk parish p.Marcin Jankiewicz, who came from Poland on this occasion, the next prior fr.Pawel Tokarz, Vice Provincial minister of the Vice Province of Ukraine and Russia of the Order of Friar Minor Capuchin Blazej Suska, plenty of priests, monks and nuns from different dioceses. Extraordinary and Authorized Ambassador of the Republic of Poland in the Ukraine Jacek Kluczkowski and Consul General the Republic of Poland in Kharkiv Grzegorz Soroczynski also arrived in Dnipropetrovsk to enter in joy of the Roman-Catholics of Dnipropetrovsk.
The actual prior of the parish in Dnipropetrovsk fr.Kazimir Guzik OFMCap appealed to those present with the words of gratitude to God and everyone who were praying for the returning of the holy place in Dnipropetrovsk. He turned attention to the figure of Resurrected Christ who was the sign of God’s victory in hopeless case. After his short speech Auxiliary Bishop of Kyiv-Zhytomyr Stanislav Shyrokoradiuk consecrated the temple, aspersing it and present people with holy water.
The theme of Marian Buchek’s sermon was society relations. He reminded that a man who cut ties with God also severed ties with another one, and as a result it led to injury, disrespect and indifference in society.
Before blessing and ending of the Mass Vice Provincial minister of the Vice Province of Ukraine and Russia of the Order of Friar Minor Capuchin Blazej Suska thanked God for fr.Kazimir, for his devotion and faith. Then Bishop Emerity of Kharkiv-Zaporizhia Stanislaw Padewski and the first prior of Dnipropetrovsk parish p.Marcin Jankiewicz made a short speech.
At the end of the celebration everybody could have an admission.
The day of the 10th August, 2009 seems to be a conclusive day for the Roman-Catholic community of Dnipropetrovsk in the case of the returning of their temple. The sitting of the Economic Court of Appeal of Dnipropetrovsk is expected to be held this day. “Dugsbery, Inc.” doesn’t agree with the decision of the Regional Economic Court of Dnipropetrovsk, which is referring to the fact that the building of the temple is the property of the Roman-Catholic Church.
The sitting takes place on the 10th August at 11 o’clock a.m. in the Economic Court of Appeal of Dnipropetrovsk.
The future of the temple and the moment of its returning depend on the decision of the Economic Court of Appeal of Dnipropetrovsk.
Though the prayer protest lasts day by day without a stop, I ask everyone, who is reading these words, about a particular prayer for the panel of judges to judge rightly and for the attrition of the chief of the “Dugsbery.Inc” form the California, who did ill to our temple.
The prior br. Kazimir, OFMCap
Today it became known that the corporation “Dugsbery, Inc.” registered in California, USA didn’t agreed with the decree of the 19th of February of the Superior Ecomomic Court of the Ukraine, which had annuled the proprietary rights of the company on the building of the Roman-Catholic church in Dnipropetrovsk. It made a complaint to the Supreme Court of the Ukraine. As a result of this the trial was held up.
Love to Christ took to love to the Cross. Hatred to Christ takes to the Cross. If you disregard Jesus, you disregard the Cross. The Cross is a stumbling stone for ones and is a sign of love for others.
The illustration to this historical fact is a situation connected with the case of St.Joseph’s temple in Dnipropetrovsk, which still hasn’t been returned to the believers. From time to time hidden, concealed kingdom of the darkness, hatred and lawlessness showed its terrible face, camouflaged with lie and hypocrisy. Sacrilege, violation, contemptuous attitude to spiritual treasures cause our resolved protest against those ones who are responsible for the feeling of citizens’ safety. Here is some information, which I must give to the communities of the Diocese.
During the rally there was a meeting of a bielivers’ representative with employees of the Embassy. The authority of the USA was informed about oppresssions of the Roman-Catholic community in Dnipropetrovsk. The bielivers also delivered a letter addressed to the President of the USA Barack Obama, in which they asked for support. The letter was signed by over than 2,000 Roman-Catholics of the capital of the Ukraine.
At noon the eminents visited the place near the Roman-Catholic temple, where the local Roman-Catholics had gathering for a long time. In the appeal to the parishioners the Ambassador marked that there was an agreement between Poland and the Ukraine about rending the religious communities assistance in access to Churches. The Polish authotities make efforts for support of religious communities on its territory and expect such actions from the part of the Ukraine. After short contacts with the parishioners Mr.Ambassodor and the provost of the parish came to locked door of the temple to pray.
Jacek Kluczkowski left the flowers near the door of the temple in the sign of honour.
The next action in program of the Ambassador’s visit was a meeting with the governor of Dnepropetrovsk region Victor Bondar. The situation of the Roman-Catholic temple in Dnipropetrovsk became the main theme of talks. Jacek Kluczkowski pointed out on the serious economical collaboration between Poland and Dnipropetrovsk region, the high development of trade operations, but at the same time he noticed one of the most difficult matters in the relations – destruction of the Roman-Catholic temple.
I turn to you with a request about gesture of solidarity and prayerful approval to the Roman-Catholic parish in Dnipropetrovsk.
We have trying to return our church building in Dnipropetrovsk for almost fifteen years. Today the Roman-Catholic church is ownership of American company “Dugsbery, Inc.”, registered in California. Its activities relates with the name of ex-prime minister of Ukraine Pavel Lazarenko, who asked for political asylum in America. He was convicted for financial abuse, and now he is under house arrest.
In the summer of 2007 contrary to all the building instructions “Dugsbery, Inc.” began to destroy the arch of the temple. The Roman-Catholic of Dnipropetrovsk and other parishes began the defence of the church.
The direct reason of new tide of the protest actions was a fact that “Dugsbery, Inc.” brougt a suit against our parish, demanding 200 thousand dollars. They say they supposedly incured great losses having no possibilities to reconstruct the building of the Church.
In order to resolve the conflict the Mayor of Dnipropetrovska proposed the American company to take other lots instead of the Roman-Catholic church. But this proposition was not enough to setisfy the expections of “Dugsbery, Inc.”.
From the 25th of January the permanent prayerful protest of parishioners has continuing on the street near the temple. The important moment of our protest is the action of sending letters to Embassy of the USA in different countries in order to draw attention to the activities of the aforementioned Corporation, which touches us painfully and hurt our religious feelings. There will be prayerful meetings in Dnipropetrowsk and in California (USA) near the offices of “Dugsbery, Inc.” and the headquarters of political party “Gromada”, which is headed by P.Lazarenko.
Therefore we apply to You, asking to write a letter to Ambassador of the USA in order to come interested in the activities of the American company, which persecutes the Roman-Catholics in Dnipropetrovsk. We want the Goverment and the society of the USA to defend us from the corporation “Dugsbery, Inc.” and ex-prime minister of Ukraine Pavel Lazarenko, who is connected with that company. The more people will join to the action of solidarity and our prayerful protest and send letters for approval of our parish, the more chances of positive result we will have.
The provost of the Roman-Catholic parish of St.Joseph br.Kazimir
Example of a letter:
Dear Mr. Ambassador!
We send You this letter in solidarity with Ukrainian Roman-Catholics in Dnipropetrovsk persecuted by the American company “Dugsbery, Inc.”.
This corporation is destroying the temple, the monument of architecture of XIX century, and demanding financial indemnity, so they offends the Roman-Catholic community of Dnipropetrovsk and hurt our religious feelings. We ask You to pay attention of becoming American state institutions on the activites of “Dugsbery, Inc.” and to defend us from the American convict, the ex-prime minister of Ukraine Pavel Lazarenko.
Name and surname, home address and signature.
On Candlemas Day a cross was placed in front of the Roman-Catholic church.
There is a tablet on the cross, which informs about the Roman-Catholic temple behind it. It points out that it’s a monument of architecture, which was built in XIX century.
This sign, which is generally known for all the Christians of the world, stands on the place of prayerful protest and declares that the construction behind it is God’s Home.
For 16 years the believers have trying to return the church construction for their ownership, but all in vain. There were a lot of reasons to turn them down.
Till 1996 there was no place for transferring of a state organization ˝Sport Lottery˝, that was in the building of church. For the long time the parishioners had asking to return the temple and the authorities agreed. But at that moment Dnipropetrovsk State Region Council sold the construction of the Roman-Catholic church to private company for a bit more than a million grivnas.
Today the American company ˝Dugsbery, Inc.˝, the actual owner of the construction of the our temple, denies in legal form that it’s a sacred place.
After these statements some ancient frescoes were found on the walls of the temple. We hope it happened due to God’s helping. You can read the scripture in Polish: ˝Blogoslawieni czystego serca˝ - ˝Happy are the pure in heart˝. It has raining and snowing through the destroying arch of the church building for the last year and a half. The reason of it is in that the arch was destroyed by ˝Dugsbery, Inc.˝. And now rain and snow are finding new fragments of frescoes. Some figures of angels appeared on the church walls lately. They put their hands together and incline their heads in the direction of the altar, where the Masses were celebrated till 1948. Today there is a dump of debris, a lot of broken logs and bricks from the arch of the temple on that place.
The territory of pavement in front of the temple was blocked with a metal fence by ˝Dugsbery, Inc.˝. Now there is a place for public toilet and for dump, where the passers-by throw away different rubbish.
Many times we asked to take the fence away in order to save our church from desecration, but in vain. The cross with information about the Roman-Catholic church manifests our security of holiness of that sacred place and its rights to celebrate it with dignity. It doesn’t matter if it’s an Orthodox, Moslem or Judish temple. Any sacred place in different cultures and nations is paid honour to and saved by law. Destroying of a sacred place is taken as the offence of religious feelings of believers and is punished like a crime.
Using all the available ways of security of our rights, we as a Dnipropetrovsk religious community don’t have any possibility to declare our rights to celebrating of our temple and Catholic identity.
We interpret placing the cross in front of the church building as need of heart and security either of human or religious rights, fixed in legislation of our country.
The provost of the Roman-Catholic parish of St.Joseph br.Kazimir
Some unknown people had stolen the icon of Merciful Jesus. The icon were hung on the building net, that covered the building of the Church. That icon was the sign of that fact that the building on the Karl Marx Av. was the sacred place. It was presented to the Roman-Catholic parish by Father Stanislav, the Bishop of Kharkiv-Zaporizhzhia Diocese.
The icon of Merciful Jesus is famous all around the world. You can see Jesus Christ on it, Who is blessing and pointing at His wounded Heart. That icon represents the spiritual value and isn’t a piece of art.
We cannot keep silence about the fact of stealing of our icon, because this event offends our religious feelings.
We don’t know what led those people to do that with a high hand against the God.
They did it knowing that it would hurt and offend the people who pray for returning of the temple.
We suppose they don’t want the icon of Merciful Jesus to remember about that sacred place, which was consecrated for the God more than 130 years ago.
But we want to answer the reaction to the animosity against the Roman-Catholics of Dnipropetrovsk by the hard pray for people who persecutes the Church. We pray for those ones who did that sacrilege for they can adopt the Mercy of the God.
