Russia

The Pallottine mission in Russia originated in January 2018, when Bishop Joseph Werth, SJ, of the Diocese of the Transfiguration in Novosibirsk, Siberia, requested to Fr. General Jacob Nampudakam SAC that the Society establish a mission within his jurisdiction. The Father General initially considered the request difficult to fulfill due to limited personnel and the challenging climatic and pastoral conditions of the region. Nonetheless, the Bishop emphasized the significant pastoral need in the area, noting the presence of thousands of Catholics lacking stable shepherding.

Following this request, the matter was referred to the Annunciation of the Lord Province (Poland). After an exploratory visit to the proposed mission territory, the Province agreed to accept responsibility for the new foundation. Two young Pallottine priests—Fr. Jan Wysocki, SAC, and Fr. Siarhei Bildzis, SAC—were appointed to inaugurate the mission. They arrived in Russia approximately eight months after the initial request, marking the formal beginning of Pallottine work in the region.

The mission is located in Chelyabinsk, within the Diocese of the Transfiguration, where the Pallottines assumed pastoral responsibility for the Parish of the Immaculate Conception. The local Catholic community maintains a pronounced devotion to Our Lady of Fatima, which shapes aspects of its liturgical and devotional life.

From the mission base, Fr. Jan Wysocki has described the pastoral context as both demanding and spiritually significant, characterizing the work as a process of accompanying individuals in their search for faith and providing sacramental and catechetical support within a dispersed Catholic population.