Russia. The Claretian communities of Russia have lived in these last days an especially joyful event. The scene has been the Russian city of Krasnoyarsk, in the geographical centre of Siberia. The two days of October, 10 and 11, were chosen for the student Andrei N. Andreichenko, of the Province of Santiago, to make his perpetual profession and to be instituted as lector and acolyte. It is the first time, as the faithful of Krasnoyarsk expressed, that a Siberian, who lives in this city and “speaks Russian without a (foreign) accent,” publicly proclaims his desire to be a good Missionary Son of the Heart of Mary until death. Andrei, born in Krasnoyarsk itself thirty six years ago, was baptized at the age of nineteen. He felt attracted to the Congregation when he knew the Claretian community which, dependent on the General Government, has been attending that vast Siberian region since 1991. To that mission was entrusted the pastoral care of more than two and a half million square kilometres. After almost twelve years of formation in Russia and in Spain, Andrei, who made his first profession in 2003, started a few months ago his preparation for the perpetual vows, after obtaining the degree of Licentiate in Spiritual Theology and being sent to Krasnoyarsk.
Two Catholic temples have welcomed the celebrations. On Saturday 10, the conferral of the Church ministries was celebrated in the Church of Sólnechnii. On Sunday 11, with a great attendance of the Catholic community, the profession took place in the Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord. It was received by Fr. Manuel Tamargo, Provincial Superior of Santiago, who went there for the occasion.
Andrei was also accompanied by his community of Krasnoyarsk and several Claretians from the other houses of the Russian Federation: Murmansk and Saint Petersburg. Frs. Alejandro J. Carbajo and José María Vegas, from the latter community, took advantage of the trip to give several conferences, invited by different institutions of the Siberian Federal University.
Congratulations to Andrei and thanks for his generosity. As was repeated in the Sunday celebration, may the Lord grant that his example be an invitation and a seed for other Russian young men to discover the beauty of serving the Lord. Another young man of the region, Dmitry Korvetskiy, is studying philosophy in Saint Petersburg while undergoing the experience of the postulancy.
