The Foundation of Custodia

From 1975 the priest Martin began to receive candidates in Order underground. About entering in Order parents mustn’t know. After the first period of preparation candidates were to study in seminary, which was situated in Riga. Seminarists were to work with Catholics of the whole USSR, except of Lithuania. Thanked to the priest Martin, during the disintegration of the USSR, existed the group of priest seminarists – Franciscans.

After the disintegration of the USSR, the hour has come for the foundation of the own Custodia of the Order of Friars Minor.

Thanked to the priest Andrew Pabin (1987-1993), the General Custodia of the Order was Custodia of St. Archangel Michael in Ukraine. The Decree was signed by the General Minister of the Order, the priest German Shaluk, 23 March 1993. The confirming of new Custodia was declared at 1 June 1993. The priest Maximilian Dubravsky was confirmed as the firs Custosh of Custodia. In this rank he was confirmed by the General Visitator, the head of the provincial capitule the priest John Capistran Martsal from the Province of St. Jadviga, which is situated in Poland.

The first Capitule took place in Shargorod in 1993. The priest John Capistran Martsal named first counselors of Custodia, which were fixed by the leadership of the Province in Poland. They are: the priest Vladislav Shirokorodyk, the priest Albert Turovsky, the priest John Duklyan Pavluk and the priest Elizeush Grinko.

Nowadays of Custodia

Custodia of St. Archangel Michael took juridical opportunity of being the Province of the Order from the government of Ukraine in 1 February 1996.

Monasteries – Custodia of St. Archangel Michael is situated on the whole territory of Ukraine. Now it consists of 10 juridical monasteries: Chechelnic, Gorodkivka, Polonne, Seredne, Shargorod, Shepetivka, Zbaragh, Zhytomir, Baranivka and Butslav in Belorussia. Monasteries in Zbaragh and Zhytomir belonged to the Russian Province in the past. The monastery in Butslav belonged to the Lithuanian Province.

The Residence of Custodia is situated in Zhytomir. The friars living in their community, leave monasteries and go to the churches for realization their activity. Custodia have more than fifty churches.

The Friars.

Custodia of St. Archangel Michael consists from 76 members (brothers). There are two bishops, 32 priests, 30 seminariests, 2 brothers and 10 novicians. One bishop works in Georgia, 27 seminarists in Poland and 3 seminariests in Verona (Italy).

Forming and Studying.

Seminariests from Custodia studied in the High Seminary in Kalvaria Zebghidovska in Poland from 1990. Novicians of Custodia studied one in Leghaysk from 1990 to 1997. Candidates of the Order from Ukraine prepared to the noviciant in postulat from October, 1993, which is situated in Gorodkivka. From October 1999 it is situated in Shepetivka. The General Minister of the Order of Friars Minor Jakomo Bini in the 5 of September 1997 opened the noviciant of Custodia in Baranivka.

Nominations and awards.

The consecration of the priest Stanislav Shirokorodyk as a bishop of Kyevsko-Zhytomirska Eparchy was the important event for Custodia. It was made by the John Paul II in Vatican in Basilyka of St. Peter and Paul in the 6 of January, 1995.

The other important event was the consecration of the priest Maximilian Dybravsky in the 27 of June, 1998 in the Cathedral Church in Kamenets-Podolsky.