The center was inaugurated on June 18 by the apostolic nuncio for Central Asia, Archbishop Josef Wesolowski, and the superior of the mission, Divine Word Father Carlos Avila, both residents in Dushanbe.
The center, which opened with local songs in Tajik and Russian, will be funded by the Catholic Mission and managed by young volunteers from St Joseph’s Parish here.
Thirty of the children who will benefit from the service offered by the local Catholic community are Catholics, the other 30 are Muslims. «Of course, the center cannot meet all the needs in the region, but it is a small contribution which we are happy to be able to make,» Sergei Kviatkovsky, the mission’s communications officer, told the Fides news service.
Initially, the Feeding Center will be open three days a week; eventually it hopes to function on a daily basis, if the resources allow.
Tajikistan’s Catholic Mission «sui juris» (of its own right) was established in 1997. It serves 245 Catholics living in this former Soviet territory, which today has a population of about 6 million, the main religion being Islam.
