Belarus

"Dear Pilgrims of Belrus, Fix your gaze on Christ, “be rooted and built up in him and established in the faith” (Col 2:7). He is “the way, and the truth, and the life” (Jn 14:6) for every person, for entire societies and nations. Build the future of your families and your State on Christ. He alone can grant the light and strength to meet every challenge your society is facing. On the way to the third millennium, may you be accompanied by the Holy Mother of God and may she help you preserve your great, precious heritage of faith."

- St. John Paul II to Pilgrims of Belarus in Rome

1937

The Pallottines first arrived in Bereza Kartuska in 1937, two years before the outbreak of the Second World War. Their early presence was short-lived, as the region experienced rapid and violent political change. In 1939, Bereza Kartuska was occupied by the Red Army, and from 1941 to 1944 the area fell under German control. During this period, the town was transformed into a ghetto, where an estimated 8,000 Jewish residents were killed.

The magnitude of wartime devastation and postwar political conditions made any continuation of Pallottine activity impossible. The Society’s presence in the region remained dormant for nearly five decades. The Pallottines were able to return only in 1990, following the collapse of Soviet authority and the restoration of religious freedom.

Their contemporary activity in Belarus is conducted through Poland’s Annunciation of the Lord Province, and is primarily parochial in character. The Society administers several parishes—two of them in collaboration with the Pallottine Missionary Sisters—whose pastoral contexts vary significantly. In some areas, Christian life occupies a marginal or peripheral position within local society, while in others parish communities display strong levels of participation and visible public witness.