“Will Bishop Be Back? We Wait For Him”

• 2.09.2020, 11:54

People from the small homeland of Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz worry about his inability to return to the country.

People from Odelsk, Hrodna district, where Metropolitan Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz was born, know and worry about his inability to return to the country, writes tut.by. They say they pray for him, but also wonder how it happened that the head of the Catholic Church in Belarus, a true Belarusian by birth and beliefs, was not allowed to return home. "What did he do wrong? He's from Odelsk," the locals wonder.

Odelsk is a quiet and deserted place during the day. There is an ancient wooden church in the middle of the settlement; a large poster with information about people and monuments Odelsk is proud of locates a little further. Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz is on one of the photos.

Odelsk is called the place of four bishops. The locals are ready to in details the story of the agricultural settlement. For example, they say that at the end of the XVII century there lived two brothers: Astafiy and Alexander Katovichi. The first was Smolensk bishop, the second was the bishop of Vilna. Karol Pantyazhinsky was born here; he was the bishop of Belarus, Smolensk and Vilna. Local know little about these three bishops. However, they know by heart the biography of Kondrusiewicz.

The clergyman here is mainly taken not as the head of the Catholic Church in Belarus (although they confess they are proud of their famous countryman), but as their own, local one. They remember him as a boy and, discussing the latest news about the metropolitan, have many questions they have no one to ask. Only journalists who dropped in.

Odelsk residents say that the metropolitan often comes to his small homeland. He was here last year when he celebrated the 30th anniversary of his Bishop service. The villagers recall that a year ago, there was a divine service there. The bishop told about the beginning of his spiritual journey, mentioned his family, who did a lot for his growth as a priest, the local Catholic abbot Petr Bartashevich, and his grandmother, who brought little Tadeusz to the church even when there was no priest there.

Metropolitan Kondrusiewicz was the first Catholic priest in Belarus, who was ordained in the postwar period. It was in the summer of 1989. However, he served in Belarus for a short time - only one and a half years. In April 1991, Pope John Paul II sent Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz to Russia; there were only two active churches - in Moscow and Leningrad. In 2007, Kondrusiewicz returned to Belarus to continue his service here.

According to the residents of Odelsk, "their Tadeusz" never forgot about his native place. And whenever possible - and the locals know that the bishop is busy - he came to his small homeland.

He was here last summer as well. He took part in traditional celebrations in honour of St. Anthony of Padua, who has been honoured in these places for more than 500 years. Odelsk even has a bronze monument. The locals share all in detail and say that the prayers to St. Anthony work miracles. So, Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz honours the saint. As a boy, he used to pray to Anthony of Padua.

- I have known Kondrusiewicz since I was a child," says an elderly man at a stop. His name is Edward. He was born here but now lives in Hrodna; he arrives here to his parents' house. Now he comes back to the regional center, 20 minutes left before the bus. So, there is time to talk.

- A priest Bartashevich served in the church at that time. He made through a concentration camp. He was a good priest. Everyone was crying when he held the service. Tadeusz helped him. Later he mentioned the role of that priest on a spiritual way. I am 6 years older than him. He was 7, I was 13 then. I have a picture of us standing together. He is sitting, and we, the elders, are standing. When he was back from Russia, he did his best for our church. After all, there was no system then. Many churches were closed because of a lack of priests. What now? They do not want to let such a person back in the country, do they?

The man says that the church in Odelsk never closed during Soviet times; many people came there. Because of the coronavirus, fewer people come on weekdays now. But when Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz arrived, the church was always filled with parishioners. People arrived not only from neighbouring villages but also from Hrodna.

Edward is looking for a reason for the situation on the Polish-Belarusian border. He says that he learned from news about the refusal to let the Metropolitan back to Belarus.

However, he adds that many people in Odelsk watch Polish channels. They know the language of the neighbouring country; there are satellite dishes on the huts. He says that there are no nation-based issues - both Poles by nationality and Belarusians have always lived together. Most people here are Catholics. There are Orthodox, before the war there were Jews. Under Poland, Odelsk was a city and even had its flag and coat of arms.

- It's nice to live here. Kondrusiewicz is a good person. He could say something wrong. One word is enough now. I think he will be able to come back. We are waiting for him.

People say the same thing about the Metropolitan: respectable, good and fair.

There is the street named after the bishop. About 10 years ago, residents collected signatures and Lenina Street turned into Kondrusiewicza Street. People are proud of it.

- It turned out well, didn't it?

A new owner of a wooden house, where a family of the bishop used to live. Kondrusiewicz's parents died in 1985 (father) and 1999 (mother). But they spent the rest of their lives already in Hrodna. His mother is buried in the local cemetery.

- After my parents' death, I use the hut only as a summer cottage. I have a vegetable garden and a large garden with apple and pear trees. We have heard that Kondrusiewicz was not allowed into Belarus. I do not know how to comment on it. We are surprised; we pray," says the man and leads us to show his property, picking apples for us at the same time.

It seems that the news from the "big land" about protests and detentions, slightly touch the peaceful picture of Odelsk and mix up with talks about harvesting and upcoming winter. The locals say everything matters now: changes in the life of the country, the "expel" of the metropolitan, and potatoes ready for picking.

- We will preserve 15 boxes of apples and they will remain till spring," says Yanina, who also lives on Kondrusiewicza Street. A woman is his classmate. She learns from us that the Metropolitan was not allowed in Belarus.

- Oh, Lord! Where does he live there now? Does he need any support? Oh, Lord! What should we do if he stays there?

The woman waves her hand towards the border. It is not more than a kilometre to the border strip through the field.

- He's Belarusian, from Odelsk. Why isn't he allowed to the country? What did he tell? What's going on?

Yanina tells about her former classmate: he studied well, was calm and responsible. He went to the church with his parents and grandmother, took part in divine services. He graduated from the Leningrad Polytechnic University, and then from the Theological Seminary in Kaunas. She says there were no one left of the Metropolitan's family in Odelsk, only distant relatives; a bishop's mother and sister are buried in the local cemetery.

- I will go to the church and pray for him. We will all be praying for him.

An old lady stops talking for a moment, and then moan with tears that now Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz has to stay in Poland. Yanina shakes her head and sighs for a long time.

- Well, they can let him come back after all, can't they? she asks us and comes back to the vegetable garden to dig out potatoes.