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On the last Sunday of July, the Holy Rosary parish of Tomsk, Russia, celebrated its second annual “Catholic Fest” in honor of St. Ignatius’ feast day.

The day kicked off with the celebration of mass to a packed church, which included many visitors from around town.  Immediately following mass, the festivities--food, singing, dancing, auctions, raffles, arts & crafts--began after a blessing from the pastor and a welcome to all the guests, including representatives of the town’s Orthodox, Armenian, and other populations.  Catholicism is rather small in Russia--Tomsk included--making up less than one percent of the total population.  Yet Holy Rosary parish is a well-known and often-visited site for Tomsk residents and visitors alike, especially during Sunday afternoon strolls.  As such, parishioners and regulars were joined by many new faces to take in all of the church’s talents and gifts, which were on full display during the course of the afternoon. 

Over the preceding few weeks, parishioners had come together to plan and organize the event.  Such commitment and enthusiasm in the parish was yet another expression of the Tomsk Catholic community’s ownership of its church.  Moreover, the fruits of this labor could be seen in terms of people of all ages offering up their talents during the festival:  local women offering creative hair-dos and face-painting for the children, arts & crafts master classes from the many creative minds of the parish community, and gifts for auction. The parish’s choir also provided music throughout the day.  Russian rock songs were a big hit, and may guests joined the choir to sing along or lead the crowd with their own favorites.  Perhaps best of all was the wonderful variety of food prepared by parishioners and guests, often with the help of their children, ranging from authentic Uzbek plov (a traditional Central Asian rice dish) to local favorites like crepes, shashlik (shish kabobs), and a variety of Russian sweets.

Such a sharing of gifts and hospitality with the broader community of Tomsk served as a poignant sign of this small church’s overall existence in Siberia.  Though a minority faith in Russia, our parish is often a place of joy and hospitality that seeks to share its gifts with the surrounding community.  This was no more true that in the coming together of all ages, many nationalities, and several faith backgrounds to simply celebrate community in the name of a rather unknown saint in Siberia.

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