New Life for Russian Mission

Fr. Pavel Baros, msc

Fr. Tomek Poterala, msc

On Saturday 23rd June 2007 two young MSCs were ordained as priests, ready to begin ministry in the Russian Mission.

In an exciting collaborative venture between the Irish Province and the South German-Austrian Province, the two young men from Poland and Slovakia were ordained in the Slovak city of Nitra.

Fr. Pavel, Fr. Tomek and Fr. Pat Courtney, msc, Irish Provincial

The South German-Austrian MSC Province has had a mission in Slovakia for the last 10 years. Pavel Baros is the first Slovakian MSC to be ordained to the priesthood. Tomek Poterala is the fourth Polish MSC to be ordained. Both of these two young men have generously volunteered to join the Irish mission in the Caucusus in Southern Russia where they have already spent the last 12 months on pastoral assignment.

Present at the ordinations in Nitra were the Irish Provincial, Fr. Pat Courtney, msc, together with his deputy, Fr. Joseph McGee, msc and Fr. Steve Rogers, msc from the Russian Mission in Piatigorsk.

Fr. Joe McGee, Fr. Tomek, Fr. Pavel, Fr. Pat Courtney and Fr. Steve Rogers, prior to the celebration of Fr. Pavel's First Mass

The ordinations were an occasion of tremendous celebration; for the MSC communities in Slovakia and South Germany-Austria, for Pavel and Tomek and their families and friends, and for the Irish Province. In a country not long freed from the grips of communism, the Catholic community in Nitra was overjoyed to celebrate this sign of new life in their own local church.

The ordination ceremony was solemn and traditional and the overflowing Church was testimony to the significance of this occasion. Both on the day of the ordination and the following day of Pavel’s First Mass people waited patiently outside in the heat to welcome and greet the newly ordained priests and receive their first blessing.

Fr. Pavel's parents give him their blessing outside their family home prior to celebrating his First Mass

Among the many touching and unique traditions was the sight of Pavel’s parents giving him their blessing as he left the family home on his way to celebrate his First Mass. Their joy and pride in witnessing the ordination of their son was the fruit of their own generosity in handing on the precious gift of faith to Pavel.

The Irish Province rejoices with the community in Nitra and wishes them every blessing as they continue their MSC presence in Eastern Europe. At the same time we look forward to the further growth of our mission in Southern Russia, now strengthened by the presence of Frs Pavel and Tomek.