From November 11 to 12, 2019, the 38th Plenary Meeting of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Kazakhstan was held in Atyrau, in which all Bishops and Ordinaries of Kazakhstan participated. Participating guests included: Bishop Jerzy Maculewicz, Apostolic Administrator of Uzbekistan, and Father Anthony Corcoran, Apostolic Administrator of Kyrgyzstan.
The following elections were held during the meeting:
Bishop José Luís Mumbiela, Bishop of the Diocese of the Holy Trinity in Almaty was elected to a four-year term as President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Kazakhstan.
Archbishop Tomash Peta, Archbishop Metropolitan of Archdiocese of Holy Mary in Astana, was elected to a four-year term as Vice-President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Kazakhstan.
Bishop Athanasius Schneider, Bishop Athanasius Schneider, Auxiliary Bishop of Archdiocese of Holy Mary in Astana, was elected to a four-year term as Secretary of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Kazakhstan.
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Kazakhstan welcomes with joy and gratitude the establishment of the Apostolic Administration for Catholics of the Byzantine Rite of Kazakhstan and Central Asia and the appointment of Archpriest Vasily Hovera as its first Apostolic Administrator, by Pope Francis.
The Bishops and Ordinaries of Kazakhstan expressed their heartfelt wishes for God’s abundant graces to the Rt Revd. Dariusz Buras on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Apostolic Administration of Atyrau, and thanked him for his efforts in successfully holding this event.
Bishops and Ordinaries of Kazakhstan welcome the creation of the Council of Traditional Christian Confessions of Kazakhstan, held on May 13, 2019 in the synodal hall of the spiritual, cultural and administrative center of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District of the Russian Orthodox Church in the city of Nur-Sultan.
During the meeting, in particular, the following topics were discussed: the presence of the Catholic Church of Kazakhstan in the Media; practical issues of charitable activity of the Catholic Church of Kazakhstan at the national, diocesan and parish levels.
They discussed a program to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the dedication of Kazakhstan and Central Asia to the custody of Mary, Queen of the World, which will be held July 6-7, 2020 at the National Sanctuary of the Queen of Peace in Ozernoye. The spiritual preparation for this event will last from Lent 2020 to July 6, 2020. The main intention of this preparation is for unification in prayer of all the parishes of Kazakhstan. One particular parish will be dedicated, especially through the Sacrifice of the Holy Mass, the praying of the Rosary, and also the included in the prayers of the Carmelite Sisters in Ozernoye.
Bishops and Ordinaries expressed a prayer wish that during the next jubilee year of dedication of Kazakhstan under the protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of Peace, that the abundance of God’s blessing be granted to all believers and communities of the Catholic Church of Kazakhstan, as well as gifts of faith and true peace and prosperity to all the people of Kazakhstan.
Nur-Sultan, November 16, 2019
+ José Luís Mumbiela Sierra
Bishop of the Diocese of the Holy Trinity in Almaty
President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Kazakhstan
+ Athanasius Schneider
Auxiliary Bishop of Archdiocese of Holy Mary in Astana
Secretary of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Kazakhstan
