|
Date |
|
Event |
| 18th-19th c. |
|
Imperial Russia annexes one-third of Poland
with population of 15,000,000 Roman Catholics.
Thousands of Poles and some Lithuanians
and Belarusans exiled to penal labor camps in Siberia and Russian Far
East (RFE). Many Poles serve in RFE in military and stay to raise
their families and obtain land inexpensively. Many come to RFE to work
on construction of Trans-Siberian railroad.
|
| 1860 |
|
Town of Vladivostok founded.
("Vladivostok" means "Ruler of the East.") |
| 1863 |
|
First Catholic priest, Fr. Radzishewski,
appointed as military chaplain in RFE. |
| Feb 18, 1866 |
|
Emperor Alexander II
erected the first Catholic parish and appointed the first Catholic
priest for the Russian Far East, Ss Peter and Paul Parish in
Nicolaevsk-na-Amure and pastor Fr Kazimir Radzishevsky.
|
| 1875 |
|
Vladivostok made into military fort.
Fr. Radzishewski comes to live
there, staying temporarily in home of Evangelical Protestant pastor.
|
| 1885-86 |
|
Two Polish Catholics give Catholic
community land to build church structure with bell tower and
priest's apartment. Eventually the Church of the Body of
Christ (Corpus Christi) is built of wood |
| March 30, 1888 |
|
Ivan Ivanovich Mantsevich
donated land for the construction of a church.
|
| Jan 11, 1890 |
|
Russian Holy Synod
moved the Catholic center of the Far East from Nicolaevsk-na-Amure
to Vladivostok.
|
| July 6, 1893 |
|
The first pastor of
the RFE Fr Kazimir Radzishevsky died in Blagoveschensk.
|
| Sept 8, 1899 |
|
Dedication of the first
Catholic church in Vladivostok, “The Nativity of the Virgin Mary.”
|
| Feb 1-2, 1902 |
|
Church of the Body of Christ
burns down at night. |
| June 22, 1908 |
|
The building committee accepted the
plans of architect Vladimir de Planson.
|
| July 12, 1909 |
|
Archbishop Jan
Cepliak of Mogilov blessed the church cornerstone.
|
| Oct 12, 1911 |
|
Canon Carl Slivovsky
appointed pastor in Vladivostok, coming from Kazan.
|
| Oct 1921 |
|
Vladivostok Minor Seminary founded
|
| Oct 2, 1921 |
|
Consecration of the
new brick church of the Most Holy Mother of God.
|
| 1908–22 |
|
Construction of new stone-and-brick
Neo-Gothic-style church in Vladivostok. Church consecrated Oct. 2,
1921. Until 2001, it is the largest Catholic church building in
all of Asian Russia, seating approximately 500 people before
desecration/interior alterations of 1930-35.
|
| 1922 |
|
As many as 30,000 practicing
Catholics (mostly Polish; some Germans and Lithuanians) are in RFE, including Vladivostok and surrounding Primorye
region. Most Holy
Mother of God
parish has 15,000 members. |
| 1923 |
|
After Communist revolution, pastor
of Most Holy Mother of God
parish, Fr. Karol Sliwowsky (1848-1933), native of Polish Belorussia, is made first bishop of
newly created diocese of Vladivostok. (Until Feb. 2002, this diocese is only
Roman Catholic diocese located completely in Russian territory. It has never been
officially closed by Vatican, although see has been vacant since death
of Bishop Sliwowsky in 1933.) Most Holy Mother of God
Catholic Church becomes a cathedral. |
| Feb 18, 1923 |
|
The
Vladivostok Minor Seminary was closed by Soviet authorities.
|
| Oct 28, 1923 |
|
Consecration of Bishop Slivovsky in Harbin.
|
| 1927 |
|
Last pastor of Most Holy Mother of
God parish, who took over church in 1925, shot by Communists. |
| 1927-30 |
|
Lay woman sacristan keeps cathedral
open and clean and leads rosary. |
| 1930 (?) |
|
Communists close church and
confiscate building. Parishioners disperse. Bishop Sliwowsky expelled from Vladivostok. (Communist edict forbids
all priests, Orthodox and Catholic, from living in cities. Priests labeled as
"parasites on society." They must earn their living by farm work.)
|
| Dec 1, 1931 |
|
Last pastor Fr
George Yerkevich was arrested.
|
| 1930-35 |
|
Interior of church reconstructed;
two steel-reinforced concrete floors poured on superstructure of
steel I-beams and new steel pillars; fourth floor of steel and
wood added in transept; sanctuary divided from nave by brick wall,
and fourth floor of steel and wood added in transept; many
interior brick walls added
to divide church building into 35 separate rooms. |
| 1933 |
|
Bishop Sliwowsky dies at age 85 in exile in northern suburb of Sedanka. Buried in old cemetery
that has since been abandoned. Exact place of
grave unknown. |
| Sep 17, 1935 |
|
Last priest to serve parish killed
in labor camp. State legislature gives "former" Catholic church
building to State Archive Bureau. Church building opens again as four-story Communist
government archive of Primorye Krai (Maritime State) of Soviet
Republic of Russia.
|
| 1937-38 |
|
An estimated 7000 Catholics taken
from city and shot or sent to slave labor camps, never to return.
|
| 1991 |
|
On Aug. 25, six days after failed coup d'etat
against President Gorbachev, newly regathered Vladivostok
Catholic Community (six members) led by layman Andre Popok applies to state government for
official recognition as religious organization. (Such recognition is
necessary if a religious organization wants to exist legally in
Russia. Ten Russian citizens must sign written statement saying they are not opposed to such organization
and the group must submit constitution for approval by state government.) |
| Nov 11, 1991 |
|
First
public mass after religious freedom at the doors of the church by
Fr Myron Effing.
|
| Feb 13, 1992 |
|
Pastor Fr
Myron Effing and Deacon Daniel Maurer arrive.
|
| Jan 1, 1994 |
|
The
church building was returned to the Parish.
|
