Bishop Sipovich new file

57 The texts in two other languages are the same, except that in the Belarusian version the appeal for help is directed "to our Belarusian countrymen and all those who understand the needs of Belarusian life in exile". Apart from this official fund-raising campaign, Father Sipovich appealed personally to some people, asking for help. On 30 July 1954 he wrote to Ambrose Ondrak, Abbot of St Procopius Benedictine Abbey at Lisle near Chicago: "Unfortunately up to the present moment the premises of my Mission have been rented. This year with the permission and benediction of my Superiors in Rome, His Eminence Cardinal Griffin and Bishop Sloskans, Apostolic Visitor for Byelorussians I have started a Subscription Fund for the purpose of purchasing a house for the Byelorussian Catholic Mission in London. With it I take the liberty in addressing my appeal to you...". On 25 October 1954 Father Sipovich wrote the following letter to the Belarusian priest in Germany, Father Uladzislau Salaviej: "I give many thanks to you for the assistance hitherto given to the Belarusian Catholic Mission. The development and success of the Mission is doubtless near to your heart, and that is why I take the liberty to ask you, Reverend Father, another favour, namely to help acquire a house for the Mission (ut adiutorio in emenda domo pro Missione venias). To buy this house which would meet the needs of the Mission, £8000 are required. The action of collecting money under the patronage of His Eminence Cardinal Griffin, Archbishop of Westminster, has already started". He also sought the help of Father Werenfried van Straaten, founder of the "Oostpriesterhulp" (Help to priests from the East). In his letter of 31 August 1956 he wrote: "The next and the most important thing is the purchase of a house specifically for the Belarusian Catholic Mission in England (Die nächste and auch sehr wichtige Sache ist der Ankauf des eigenen Hauses für die Weissruthenische Katholische Mission in London)... We turn to you, dear Father, and through you to all your benefactors with the request to help us... The purchase of the house for the Belarusian Catholic Mission will not only assure the existence of the Mission, but also constitute a spiritual centre for all Belarusians in England and in the whole of Europe". In response to Father Sipovichs appeal, Father van Straaten sent him £357, which at that time was a considerable sum. But he was an exception. In general the direct appeal to prominent Catholic figures, such as Cardinal Spellman, Archbishop of New York, Stritch of Chicago and Lercaro of Bologna was a failure. This was to be expected: ten years after the end of the war most refugees had had time to get settled and start looking after their own affairs. Perhaps the wording of the letter itself had also something to do with it. Father Sipovich began his (identical) letters of 31 July 1954 to Spellman and Stritch (also in Spanish to Cardinal Copello of Buenos Aires) with the following sentence: "In consequence of religious persecution in our fatherland Whiteruthenia (Byelorussia) a great number of exiles of my compatriots... settled in Gt Britain". Now although there was genuine religious persecution in the Communist-dominated Eastern Europe, the reasons why most refugees were unable or unwilling to return to their native countries were political and economic, and religion played little or no part in their decision. Father Sipovichs statement sounded at best unconvincing, and at worst it looked like an attempt to exploit the religious feelings of persons to whom the letters were addressed. In his letter to Cardinal Lercaro of 29 June 1955 Father Sipovich, after having asked for help "to acquire a house for my Mission (per acquistare la casa per mia Missione)", continues: "...my initiative has been favourably received and approved by my immediate superiors, namely His Eminence Cardinal Griffin and His Excellency Boleslaus Sloskans". In fact his immediate superiors were the Superior General of the