Opieka duszpasterska nad Polakami w Harbinie
Pastoral Care for Poles in Harbin

Summary/Abstract: Poles began to settle in Harbin in 1897. They arrived there as part of the first technical expedition (about 7,000 Poles) sent by the Tsarist government to mark out the East China Railway line. From the very beginning they made efforts to bring a Polish priest to their community. In 1901 Polish officers and soldiers turned to the authorities asking for permission to build a church. The Catholic chapel for Poles was organised in the building belonging to the Border Guards. On 30 May 1904 the authorities assigned a square for the construction of the church. The priests involved in the ministry were: P.P. Bulwicz, A. Szpiganowicz, S. Ławrynowicz, A. Maczuk. On 1 August 1909 Archbishop Jan Cieplak consecrated the new church and appointed Rev Władysław Ostrowski the parish priest of the Polish parish in Harbin. The following priests engaged in pastoral work: A. Eysymontt, W. Mi[e]rzwiński, R. Wierzejski, W. Zborowski, A. Leszczewicz and P. Chodniewicz. They were joined by the Franciscan friars: Maurus Kluge and Paulin Wilczyński, from 1925 Gerard Piotrowski, and from 1941 Gracjan Kołodziejczyk (until 1957). The priests also served branch churches erected and organised by Poles, mostly along the railway line (2 or 3 times a year, over entire decades).The main centre of the religious and cultural life of the Polish community in Harbin was St. Stanislaus Bishop Parish. The development of the religious and cultural life of the parish was associated with the pastoral work of Rev Ostrowski, who initiated the creation of St Vincent de Paul Society, St Vincent de Paul Basic School, an orphanage for the poorest children, Henryk Sienkiewicz Junior High School for Poles and a parish library. From 1922 he had been publishing the weekly “Tygodnik Polski”. He initiated the construction of the second Polish church at so-called St Josaphat Harbour. Its parish priest was Rev A. Leszczewicz. He organised the first Catholic congress of the Polish parish on the Asian soil. A basic school was also created at this parish.In 1946, the churches and other assets of the parishes were taken over by the Chinese authorities. In 1959 the temple was taken over by the Patriotic Association of Chinese Catholics, but in 1966 the church fell into ruin. Over time, it was adapted to house a school. In 2004 it was renovated as a temple dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

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