Kazakhstan

October 8, 2018

The Pallottine mission in Kazakhstan began in the autumn of 2018, following an invitation from Archbishop Tomasz Peta of the Archdiocese of Mary Most Holy in Astana. Prior to the formal establishment of the mission, three members of the Christ the King Province (Poland) conducted an exploratory visit to the Kostanaj (Kostanay) region from 25–26 July 2018 to assess pastoral needs and the feasibility of a Pallottine presence.

Within two weeks of their return to Poland, Archbishop Peta formally invited the Society to assume responsibility for two parishes—St. Pio and St. Mary. Fr. Wiesław Pęski, SAC was appointed as the first Pallottine missionary to Kazakhstan and arrived on 8 October 2018, marking the Society’s entry into Central Asia. The first Sunday Masses under Pallottine care were celebrated on 14 October 2018.

Fr. Wiesław Pęski, born in Poland on 20 April 1970, entered the Society in 1988 and was ordained in 1995. His earlier missionary service in Ukraine contributed significantly to the development of the Pallottine presence in Eastern Europe, providing the pastoral and intercultural experience that informed the foundation of the mission in Kazakhstan.