The Marian Martyrs of Rosica

59 Eyewitness Accounts Katarzyna Ugarenko, Hedwig Trubilo, and others. Sisters usu- ally went to the outposts in pairs; sometimes three would go together. The Sisters who stayed at home in the main facilities taught religion to individuals by preparing people for marriage, the sick for the Last Rites, and by ministering in other ways. Of the Marians, the first to come were Fr. Anthony Leszczewicz and Fr. Walter Laszewski, and, after some time, Fr. Felix Czeczott and Seminarian Henry Tomaszewski, and finally Fr. George Kaszyra. The Marians performed their priestly functions in all the out- posts. They directed the repair of ruined churches or chapels in Rosica, Dryssa, Oswieja, and Baliny. Elsewhere they arranged sometimes large, sometimes small chapels in appropriate build- ings, such as firehouses or watch stations. They organized tem- porary parishes and also created parish committees. Every day and especially on Sundays and holy days, they said Masses in those churches and chapels; in a word, they carried out pastoral work for the local inhabitants. For the most part, the Eucharistic Sisters were busy teaching religion in parishes adjacent to the churches, but they also trav- eled around organizing something like catechism classes in the private homes of the parishioners. During the day, they taught schoolchildren, and in the evening they taught adults; teenagers were taught catechism separately. The curriculum for each group usually took from two to three weeks. The objective was to prepare the faithful as quickly as possible to receive the Holy Sacraments and to enable them to get the benefit of confession and Holy Communion and to participate in Holy Mass. In addition to teaching religion, the Sisters took care of the churches and chapels by keeping them in good order. Working with the young girls, they provided altar decorations. They sewed chasubles and other church vestments, banners, stan- dards, and altar canopies. Because it was impossible to obtain appropriate materials, the girls brought white sheep’s wool from their homes and, under the direction of the Sisters, they wove cloth on old, rustic looms to use in their projects. They also made linen thread which they then colored with paint or