Belarus: A Catholic Priest Stopped

The priest has served in Olkowice for nearly 2 decades, where he was made known as a pastor, a local historian and guardian of the historical church – 1 of the most crucial temples in the region. In the local paper "Peramoga" in 2020, it was described as "a shepherd of souls, a historian and a collector of history", stressing his contribution to documenting the past of the surrounding towns and care for preserving local heritage.

Fr Anatol Parachniewicz (born 1960 in Dobrowolszczy nad Berezin) is from an Orthodox family. After his parent died, his grandma raised him. At the age of ten, he went to a kid home where he graduated from advanced school. In 1977, he left for Minsk and took a degree in theatre direction. Initially he attended the church, but in time he stopped. The breakthrough was the beginning of a tiny Catholic church at the Calvary Cemetery in 1980 – despite the language barrier (the Holy Mass was celebrated in Polish) he began attending the services. The atmosphere of the faithful was of large importance to him. During this period he besides met profoundly spiritual persons who influenced him. 2 years later, he started working at a cultural centre in Radoshkovice. After completing the Seminary in Białystok, he worked pastorally in respective parishes, including Rakow and Zasław. Since 2007, he has been parish priest of the parish of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Olkowice.