A new Catholic church dedicated to the Holy Spirit was consecrated at Polociani, near Minsk, in Belarus on 1st May. The celebration was officiated by the apostolic administrator of the diocese of Minsk-Moghilievsk, Bishop Antonij Demiankonone , together with numerous priests from neighbouring parishes. Representatives of the civil authorities were also present. Years ago Polociani belonged to the parish of Aborak, birthplace of the first bishop of the diocese of Minsk, Msgr. Ignatij Dederko. After the arrival of the Communists at the end of the Second World War, the parish church was destroyed, as were many places of worship in Belarus. The site of the new church was donated by the local farm cooperative, and its construction took about a year’s work, thanks to the constant help of parishioners and benefactors. At the end of the mass Bishop Demianko thanked all those who had contributed to the building of the new church. He also expressed the hope that it would continue for many years to come to be a place of prayer and the meeting with God.
