17. Marians and others

There were two institutions at Marian House. One of them was the religious house (or monastery) of the Belarusian Marian Fathers. This was canonically established in 1962 by the Superior General of the Marian Congregation after having obtained permission from the Archbishop of Westminster. In 1969 the Belarusian Marian community consisted of four priests: Fr Leo Haroshka, Joseph Hermanovich, Felix Zhurnia and Thomas Padziava. The Superior was Fr Haroshka. Bishop Sipovich was resident at Marian House but had no function in it. Father Zhurnia belonged to the Roman rite.

The other institution was the Belarusian Catholic Mission of the Byzantine rite in England, established in 1947 by the Oriental Congregation with the agreement of the Archbishop of Westminster. Its first rector was Father Sipovich. From 1960 to 1970 the rector was Fr L. Haroshka. Apart from him, the priests of the Mission were Fr J. Hermanovich, T. Padziava and two non-Marian priests, Fr A. Nadson and R. Tamushanski. Fr Zhurnia, being of the Roman rite, did not belong to the Mission.

After the departure of Fr Haroshka in 1970, Fr Hermanovich became the Superior of the Marian community; in 1974 he was replaced by Fr Zhurnia. Bishop Sipovich assumed the duties of Rector of the Mission, with Fr Nadson as his assistant.

Thus the two institutions, even if they worked closely together, were quite distinct. On the whole cooperation was good, but there was always a feeling that the Marian Fathers would prefer to have the Mission and all its activities in their hands. This was expressed for the first time in 1962 by Fr S. Skutans, a Latvian, who was then Superior General. During his canonical visit he said about  the St Cyril's boarding house for boys that "it seems to be more opportune that the Marians themselves should assume the direction of the boarding house in their own hands not only in name, but also in fact". This was repeated by Bishop Sipovich in 1965, and in 1971 by his successor, Fr Joseph Sielski, a Pole, who added that "for this end another Marian priest, – at least one and younger, – is needed". During his next canonical visit in 1974 he wrote that "the problem of the 'future' of the 'Marian' aspect of this Mission and its varied apostolate is a preoccupying one". What he meant was that, because of diminishing numbers and advanced age, there was the danger that the Marians would lose control of the Belarusian Catholic Mission of the Byzantine Rite in England. The underlying feeling was that the Mission was and should remain firmly in the hands of the Marian Fathers. In Sielski's report of his visit on 23 March 1971, the two non-Marian priests, A. Nadson and R. Tamushanski were described as being "assigned (adscripti)" to the "London House II" (as distinct from the Lithuanian Marian community's "London House I"). Of course, the non-Marian priests did not see it the same way, and were not even aware of being "assigned" to any "House", its location and number being immaterial. A delicate situation arose when the Superior General wanted to "visit canonically" their work. Bishop Sipovich, clearly embarrassed, told Father Nadson that the Superior General would like to "talk" with him. To help the Bishop in his difficulty Father Nadson agreed to see Father Sielski. The meeting took place in Fr Nadson's study at St Peter's House.

As has been already mentioned, the Oriental Congregation in 1960 gave Bishop Sipovich, as Apostolic Visitor for Belarusians, ?10000 for the purchase of the property at 41 Holden Road for the Belarusian Catholic Mission. It became St Cyril's House boarding school for boys. Father S. Skutans, the Superior General, in his report of the canonical visit, dated 28 August 1962 wrote: "To the Belarusian Mission, under the direction of Rev. Fr Leo Haroshka, belongs also the boarding house for boys under the protection of St Cyril of Turau. This house is the property of the Sacred Congregation for the Eastern Churches, but in the documents is in the name of His Exc. Fr Ceslaus Sipovich". On 27 March 1965 Bishop Sipovich, who in his capacity as Superior General of the Marian Fathers, made the canonical visit, wrote: "The boarding house for boys consists of two separate buildings, 39 and 41 Holden Road, London N.12, in the vicinity of Marian House; one of these was purchased this very month with a loan of ?10710-1-6 from the Westminster Curia. Both houses for boys have been acquired with money collected or borrowed by the undersigned (i.e. Sipovich – A.N.). This money does not belong to the Marians, but was given for the disposition to the undersigned in his capacity as Apostolic Visitor. Hence both houses, in which Belarusian boys now live, are not the property of the Marian Fathers (my emphasis – A.N.), although they may serve to expand the work of the Marians". With the correction that the money for 41 Holden Road was not "collected or borrowed" but given by the Oriental Congregation, the above statement makes the things quite clear.

The next canonical visit, also by Bishop Sipovich, took place in 1968. Among the "decrees (decreta)" in his official report of the visit, dated 7 March 1968, there is the following: "Having considered everything and obtained the opinion from those who are interested, I state and decree the house which bears the name of St Cyril of Turau, 41 Holden Avenue, Finchley, London N.12, together with the garden, garage and all furniture which is in it or which may be acquired later, to be the property of Belarusian Marians in the same way as 'Marian House' with all legal and practical effects"[44]. There followed certain dispositions for the time that the boys' boarding house continued to exist.

Bishop Sipovich made this decision in his capacity as Superior General of the Marian Fathers. It was recorded in the official document entitled "Visitatio canonica Domus Londinensis II (Alboruthenae) Marian House, Holden Ave., London, N.12, diebus 2-7 Martii 1968 peracta (Canonical visit of the London House II (Belarusian), Marian House, Holden Avenue, London, N.12, made on 2-7 March 1968)". At the end of the document there is the signature, "Ceslaus Sipovi?c, Eppus tit. Mariamitanus, Sup. Generalis", and the official round seal with the inscription: "Superior Generalis Congregationis CC. RR. Marianorum".

Thus the Superior General of Marian Fathers decided about the ownership of the property which was not theirs. It was also not clear who were those interested persons, whose opinion Bishop Sipovich asked before making his decision. Fathers Nadson and Tamushanski were most definitely not among them.

Bishop Sipovich gave the following justification for his action: "I make this decision or decree on the basis of the letter of the Illustrious Gentleman A. Rivers (Illustrissimi Domini A. Rivers), secretary of the financial affairs of the Westminster Archdiocese, written to me on 11 September 1963, in which it is said: '...I formally confirm that St Cyril's House, 41 Holden Road, Finchley, N.12, which you purchased and paid for in January 1961, is registered in the name of the Westminster Roman Catholic Diocese Trustee. This is a Diocesan Trustee Corporation which is incorporated to act as Trustee on behalf of any charity. It holds the property on your behalf and at any time, on your instructions, the property would be transferred to any person whom you may direct...'".

The Westminster Diocese Trustee is a legal custodian for religious charities, funds and institutions in that diocese. It does not act on its own initiative but on instruction of the actual owners, very much in the same way as a bank acts on the instructions of the client who has an account in it. Thus the letter of the diocesan Financial Secretary did not give Bishop Sipovich any powers with regard to St Cyril's House: it assumed that he already had them. As a legal basis for his decision it was worthless.

Bishop Sipovich's "decree" was never made public, and its only record is in the Marian books which are not accessible to outsiders. But the news leaked out, with predictable effect on the non-Marian priests of the Belarusian Mission. They suddenly discovered that they were only guests in what they considered to be their home. The Marian Fathers, on the other hand, seemed to be in no doubt about the legality of Bishop Sipovich's action. On 20 February 1977, the then Superior General, Father Joseph Sielski, in his report of the canonical visit wrote: "The Main Bldg, which houses the religious community and the Byzantine-Slavonic Chapel, and St Cyril House are the property of the Congregation of Marian Fathers". The Mission received in this report a new, hitherto unknown name: "Missio Mariana et Alboruthena" (Marian and Belarusian Mission)!...

Incidentally, the same Father Sielski, after visiting the Francis Skaryna Belarusian Library on 19 February 1977, wrote in the library visitors' book: "May God bless the work of Marian Fathers and this apostolate among the White Russian people". Talk about a one-track mind!

There was a serious purpose behind the Bishop Sipovich's "decree", unlawful as it was, namely to ensure the continuous existence of the Belarusian Marian community, for which St Cyril's House would serve as a material basis (e.g. by renting out rooms and thus generating continuous income). It was assumed as a matter of course that the Belarusian Catholic Mission in London would be always in the hands of the Marian Congregation. St Peter's House at 39 Holden Road would remain the property of the Mission for the use of non-Marian priests. According to the Bishop's "decree", "The present Reverend Rector of this Mission, or his successor, will be able to dispose freely of this house according to the needs of the Mission (Rev.mus Rector laudatae Missionis actualis vel eius successor de eadem domo iuxta Missionis necessitates disponere libere poterit)". The Rector of the Mission would be, of course, a Marian... The possibility that there might come the time when there would be no Belarusian Marian left, or that the rector of the Mission would be a non-Marian, was apparently not even considered.

On 22 October 1977 Bishop Sipovich wrote his "last will", in which he repeated his earlier dispositions about the houses. Since the houses were not his private property, the "will" had no legal value and at most could be taken as an indication of his wishes.

The sad thing was that even at this late stage Bishop Sipovich could not see the writing on the wall. In 1977 the Belarusian Marian community was practically finished. Fr Padziava died in 1975, followed two years later by Fr Haroshka. Fr Zhurnia, 64 and practically blind, could not do much. Moreover he belonged to the Roman rite. Fr Hermanovich was 87 and retired. Bishop Sipovich in an attempt to ensure the continuation of the Marian community accepted as candidate a German student who had tried his luck already in two seminaries. He was a pleasant enough young man – but he suffered from an allergy to work. He did not stay long. There was also a young Marian Roman-rite priest from Poland, Anthony Los' Jnr, nephew of Father Anthony Los' snr. He spoke good Belarusian, but declared that he was a Pole and not interested in work among Belarusians or in the Byzantine rite. After a short time he left to join the Polish Marian community. But even if those two young men had stayed, was this the "New Druia" of Bishop Sipovich's dreams?

The aim of the Church is to spread the Kingdom of God among men. This does not make her representatives experts in other branches of human activity, or exempt them from observing the law. Many misunderstandings would have been avoided if the Church authorities had kept this in mind. In the case of Bishop Sipovich, while not doubting his good intentions, one cannot help feeling that he would have profited from expert legal advice in certain matters. Then there is the question of secrecy. Every organisation has its secrets. However, making secret decisions in matters which are not within the competence of an organisation, and affect people who do not belong to it, creates an unhealthy atmosphere and leads to the suspicion, whether justified or not, of underhand dealing.

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