Bishop Sipovich new file

62 One reads these lines with mixed feelings, because what they imply is the complete opposite of what was said in the Belarusian Catholic Mission Fund appeal. They give the impression of being written by a worried man, trying to limit the damage caused by the leakage of unwelcome news. The Belarusian Catholic Mission is not mentioned at all, and that is perhaps the most striking feature of the whole letter. The first of the three chief purposes of Marian House mentioned was to provide accommodation (the author stops short from saying who would own the house) for Belarusian Marian Fathers, whose record of work at Druia should serve as sufficient proof of their future intentions. The talk about twelve Belarusian Marian Fathers in Europe with no place to meet was nothing but a smoke screen. First of all they were not twelve but ten, of whom only one, Ceslaus Sipovich, was in the West. The remaining nine were in Communist-dominated Poland, and there was little hope of them being allowed to come to London. Moreover, at least three of them (Dashuta, Khamionak and Smulka) were elderly and infirm. Others (Apiachonak, Sarul, Los), apart from being polonised, at least in the cultural sense, had never expressed any wish to come and work among Belarusians in the West. In fact one of them, Anthony Los, wrote (in Polish) to Bishop Sipovich as late as 5 June 1969, expressing his wish to dedicate the rest of his priestly life to work "among brothers in the East". Then he continued: "It might be useful to come abroad to broaden ones outlook, but never to work". The letter was also signed by Francis Apiachonak. The key idea of Sipovichs letter to Batskaushchyna was to assure the readers that there should be no doubt whatsoever about the fact that Marian House was intended for Belarusians. This begs the question, why should there have been any doubt in the first place? On the whole the letter explains nothing and leaves the reader more confused than before. Something must be said about £3000 owed by Belarusian Marian Fathers to their Lithuanian confrères after 1959. The flow of donations by that time had almost dried up, and the debt was paid out of the annual grant of the Congregation for the Eastern Churches for the Belarusian Catholic Mission. The following table compiled from the account books of the Marian Fathers (no separate accounts for the Mission were kept), leaves little room for doubt: Grant of the Oriental Congregation Payment for Marian House Jan 1960 £500 25 Jan 1960 £500 10 March 1961 £500 10 March 1961 £500 3 Apr. 1962 £500 3 Apr. 1962 £500 1 Jan. 1963 £500 1 Jan. 1963 £500 10 Feb. 1964 £500 11 Feb. 1964 £500 23 Jan. 1965 £750 26 Jan. 1965 £250 9 Feb. 1966 £500 9 Feb. 1966 £250 TOTA L £3750 TOTAL £3000 Thus the Oriental Congregation, against its will and without its knowledge, became a benefactor of Marian Fathers. Ceslaus Sipovich was a man of vision and courage which had its source in his profound and sincere faith. He was also loyal to the Congregation of Marian Fathers to which he owed so much. Sadly this loyalty often took the form of an emotional attachment which clouded his usually sound judgments and prevented him from seeing things as they really were. His dream was to have a community of Belarusian