EUROPE/AZERBAIJAN - After the opening of the only Catholic Church in the country a Catholic web site has been opened to provide information and news

Friday, 22 June 2007

Baku (Agenzia Fides) - Salesians from della Slovenia, serving at the "Missio sui iurus" in Azerbaijan, have just opened a web site which offers information on the Catholic Church. The initiative, coordinated with the help of a group of well prepared young people, offers information on the Catholic Church in Azerbaijan which in 2000, after 70 years of silence, began to speak and live again, Salesian news bulletin ANS reports. The web site has various sections including Church History, Papal teaching and documents and news of local and universal church activity. The web site includes a forum for interaction on various issues and questions. The Salesians and their young helpers hope the site will serve as a channel for evangelisation. At the moment the site is in Russian but an Azer edition will be soon available.
This is another step in the development of the small Catholic community in Azerbaijan, which recently rejoiced for an historic event, the inauguration in Baku on 29 April of a church dedicated to the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The liturgy was presided by Archbishop Claudio Gugerotti, Apostolic Nuncio to Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan. The foundation stone had been blessed on 11 September 2005 by the former prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe, (see Agenzia Fides 10/9/2005 and 12/9/2005).
The new church stands on land donated by the government to mark the apostolic visit to the country of Pope John Paul II in May 2002. The church, in a modern style with neo-gothic elements, was built with funds from the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples and many other benefactors. The Church of the Immaculate Conception is the only Catholic church in Azerbaijan, a country with a population of 8 million people 95% Muslim. There are 300 Catholics. In 2000 the Catholic Mission of Baku was entrusted to the care of Salesians from Slovenia. The community guided by the Superior of the Mission, Mgr. Ján Capla, is composed of 6 religious: 2 coadjutors and 4 priest. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 22/6/2007; righe 23, parole 334)


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