Renovation

The Roman Catholic Parish in the Siberian City of Tomsk

The Jesuits were assigned to Tomsk in 1812, but their stay here was cut short by the order’s expulsion by tsar Aleksander I in 1820. The Catholic community grew over the years. Many Poles were exiled to Tomsk after the Polish uprising of 1831. They were important in financing the building of the Church of the Protection of Our Lady of the Rosary, consecrated on October 7, 1833. This is the building that is still in use today. During the 19thcentury exile and free migration contributed to the increase of the Catholic population and required expansion of the church structure. Soviet rule led to the confiscation of Catholic community’s property. Under Stalin the church building was used as a stable and kennel by the NKVD, that is, the secret police. Later under the communists the church was converted into a planetarium. Many of the older town residents remember this location as such. The government returned the edifice to the Catholic community in 1990. Pope St. John Paul II named Bishop Joseph Werth apostolic administrator of Asiatic Russia in April 1991, and Father Anton Gsell became the first official parish priest in Tomsk in post-Soviet times.

The Soviets were rather irresponsible in maintaining and repairing buildings in general, not just in the case of confiscated church property. As they reclaimed their ownership parishioners contributed their hard work to refurbishing the interior of the church for worship. Over a twenty-five-year period after the return of the requisitioned structure, the pastors and parishioners were able to recreate a very beautiful and dignified ambience with many interior and exterior cosmetic repairs; however, it became clear to people and priests that major structural repairs were needed. Beginning under Father Andrzej Duklewski and continued under the first Jesuit pastor since 1820, Father Stephan Lipke, architects began assessing the damages from 190 years of Siberian winters and of 70 years of Soviet abuse. Recently the city architects for historical monuments calculated an estimate for the repairs at 68 million rubles, approximately one million U.S. dollars.

Particularly urgent intervention is required for the building’s foundation and roof. Cracks are appearing on the walls of the church and mold is forming. Due to disrepair in the roof structure, holes have appeared on the ceiling and water is seeping in. The wooden floor in the church is beginning to rot in some places. The exterior entrance door needs to be replaced. The stairs to the church basement, where the toilet is located, are old, steep and dangerous, especially for children and the elderly.

Compared to most Siberian, and in general Russian Catholic parishes, we have what by our standards is a good number of active parishioners, many of whom are young families. The cost of the urgently needed repairs is beyond the means of our very generous people, and beyond the technical skill of their volunteer labor. The professional expertise required by the city architects for preservation of historical monuments is expensive.

Help us preserve and freely practice our faith!

Help us renovate our church!