Church in Kyrgyzstan exists in small communities, missionary says

Published: 2004-02-03

KATMANDU, Nepal (CNS) -- Only one Catholic church exists in the former Soviet state of Kyrgyzstan, but a missionary reported that local Catholics meet in small clusters throughout the Central Asian country. Indian Jesuit Father Paul Chemparathy, a missionary based in predominantly Muslim Kyrgyzstan since 2002, said the lone church is located in Bishkek, the capital, while the rest of the nation's Catholics meet in small communities. The 55-year-old priest, a former missionary in Nepal, spoke to UCA News, an Asian church news agency based in Thailand, on a recent visit to Katmandu. Father Chemparathy said the church in Bishkek is a remodeled house where about 30 Catholics gather for Mass every evening and 200 gather on the weekend; most of the parishioners are women. Outside Bishkek, he said, "there are 25 unofficial mission stations with a maximum of 30 Catholics each." He added that some of the communities are larger than this because they include people who are not Catholics.

Copyright (c) 2004 Catholic News Service /U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CNS news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to such means as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method, in whole or in part without the prior written authority of Catholic News Service .