Thanks to the generosity of mission supporters, we recently opened a new center for Vladivostok university students. This new center will be a place for students to gather in a Christian environment. With gifts from two foundations and a generous Canadian donor, the Mary Mother of God Mission Society was able to purchase a two-room apartment. One room will be used for hospitality and the other a chapel. Currently the mission is renovating the chapel room. This new haven will be known as Omega University Center.

The mission has been active at the university for several years, operating a woman’s support center, and conducting a number of religious and educational programs. We also offer Project Omega, in which Catholics are invited to witness their faith to members of the student population. Since 2001, there has been a parish university committee that included missionaries, parishioners, and students. The students themselves formed their own committee to come up with ideas to enhance the program on campus. Some of their ideas include:

	Rehabilitation for those suffering from totalitarian sects active in Vladivostok
	24-hour confidential hotline
	Internet cafe
	Spiritual library
	Bible study
	Lectures, Reports, Discussions
	Volunteer charitable activities
	Student choir and theater
	Film criticism as new films appear in the local theaters
	Coffee, tea

The new Omega University Center is centrally located in Vladivostok, where the concentration of universities serves a population of 39,000 students. We have high hopes for the new Omega University Center and are excited to see the students’ enthusiasm. It is even more exciting that the young men and women from the parish in Vladivostok are taking an active part in initiating and promoting the mission of the Catholic Church.