thank you for posting this!
...it is inspiring, that Catholics,
sent to Kazakhstan from Ukraine and Poland,
with virtually nothing...
kept their faith..
and built such a strong community.
...truly, amazing!!!
and the Russians use “Karaganda”, as we use “Timbuktu”...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karaganda
-
“Karaganda is an industrial city, built to exploit nearby coal mines using the slave work of prisoners of labour camps.”
“
Karaganda was often used as the punchline in a popular joke in the former Soviet Union. Karaganda is fairly isolated in a vast area of uninhabited steppe, and is thought by many to be “the middle of nowhere”.
... (”Where is it?” — “In Karaganda!”)
“
///
again, an inspiring story of Faith.
(and, as in Poland (where many originated),
“Our Lady of Czestochowa” is honored as being the “Queen of Poland”,
and given special reverence for centuries,
the people of Karaganda have a special dedication to Mary.
and i believe most of their Priests are Marian.)
And Cardinal Mahony of Los Angeles built a $190m Cathedral that looks likes a large warehouse.