Dushanbe (Fides Service) - “The centre of the life of the Catholic Mission of Tajikistan is Sunday Mass and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and the meditation of the mysteries of the Rosary” said Fr Carlos Antonio Ávila, Superior of the Catholic Mission of Tajikistan. Every day priests hold an hour of adoration of the Eucharist and very often they are joined by lay people. On important feast days there is adoration all day.
“Although we have our Corpus Christ procession inside the Church because we have no permission for processions through the streets - said Fr Avila - we try to make our celebrations as solemn and worthy as possible because they are the best manner of catechism and stir lay people to be ever more devoted to Jesus in the Eucharist”. At Christmas time and Easter also local state authorities and members of other religions come to Mass. In Tajikistan the Catholic community is small, about 250 people and nevertheless 70 people took part in the Mass and Procession on Corpus Christi as well as many foreigners and members of organisations working in Tajikistan.
The priest explained that Catholics here have a deep devotion to the Blessed Sacrament and this is mainly thanks to the first German priests and Catholics who came as pilgrims to this land “Catechesis is fundamental in the life of the mission. Our aim is to instruct and educate the people in the faith - said Fr Avila -. We follow the Catechism of the Catholic Church of course, adapted according to whether we are addressing adults, young people of children. We use the Encyclical ‘Ecclesia de Eucharistia’ as a source for homilies and meditations and talks for spiritual retreats.” (RZ) (Agenzia Fides 26/9/2005, righe 23 parole 322)