The Marian Martyrs of Rosica

58 The Marian Martyrs of Rosica ed to send several Sisters to begin teaching religion to the peo- ple in the Russian and Latvian territories near the Polish border. FromAugust to October of 1941, Sister Wirszuto and Sister Jasinska worked in nearby villages, and they reported to Bishop Sloskan in Riga. Sister Pietkun and Sister Woronko worked in the Soviet territory in the villages of Baliny, Nawiczki, and others. Working conditions were very difficult. The Sisters suffered poverty and misery along with the people. Despite this, each of them was eager to carry on this work. After two or three weeks, the Sisters were taking organized groups of people by boat across the Dvina to the nearby parish in the Polish territory where priests were hearing their confes- sions and giving them other sacraments. Fr. Leon Lawcewicz and the Marian priest, Fr. Anthony Leszczewicz, were in Leonpol. That winter, the Marians came to work, at first in Rosica in the Soviet territory. Later they took over Zaszczyryn, Zamosze, Oswieje, Baliny, and Dryssa. For the most part these were out- posts where there were churches or chapels and rectories for the priests. There were houses, too, for our missionary Euchar- istic Sisters from which they traveled around. They would go to other areas to work for two or three weeks preparing children and adults to receive the Holy Sacraments. After each group took its examinations, the priests came out from the larger posts. The people would prepare a temporary chapel in a fire station or watch station, and the priests would baptize, hear confessions, say Masses, bless marriages, and in general minister to the people who had been prepared for the rites. As soon as the work was finished in one village, the horse carts from another village were already waiting for our missionaries to continue on and prepare the next group. Working with the priests made things a little easier because it was not necessary to transport the prepared people to the Polish territory. The missionary sisters were the following: Apolonia Pietkun, Elizabeth Woronko, Hedwig Wirszuto, Maria Jasinska, Josepha Lowkis, Albina Prytycka, Adela Moroz,