The small Catholic Churches in Central Asia experience the summer months intensely, a time of vacation and good weather, which attract tourists from around the world. They visit these wonderful places and find doors and hearts open to welcome them. We share our experiences in Zhanashar (Kazakhstan) and Urgench (Uzbekistan).
Bethany in Zhanashar
Our community in Zhanashar is located in a small village, where life is simple and familiar. At first, our neighbors would stop by our house, curious to see what we did. For them, hearing that we were “nuns consecrated to God” was—and still is—a difficult concept to grasp, a word outside their everyday vocabulary.
Over time, however, by frequenting our home, both children and adults have come to understand that we simply have a different way of life. Today, when we meet on public transportation or at the market, they are happy to see us and immediately introduce us to others, proudly saying, “They are our neighbors!” In Kazakh culture, the bond with those who live next door is sacred, as an ancient local proverb says: “A good neighbor is more precious than a distant relative.” (Kazakh proverb)
Our Bethany: a river of welcome for all
Today, our community has become a home for everyone. During this holiday season, children wake us early in the morning, eager to play in our courtyard. Young people—Catholics, Muslims, and others of other faiths—come to us because they need to talk, learn, or simply seek a listening ear and attention. Many youth groups prefer to hold their meetings right here in Zhanashar.
Our smallness and simplicity have become a welcoming refuge for parishes and tourists: we have hosted small groups from Korea, Astana, Mongolia, and Poland, as well as many individual pilgrims seeking shelter. As we continue to offer our small daily services—such as English teaching, catechism, and the study of local languages—we realize that hospitality has become the beating heart of our apostolate.
Uzbekistan: A Church with Open Doors
Although the Catholic Church in Uzbekistan represents a small minority in a predominantly Muslim country, it is committed to living its mission, inspired by the words of Christ: “I was a stranger and you welcomed me” (Mt 25:35). This welcome is particularly evident throughout the year, when pilgrims, tourists, foreign professionals, and students arrive in the country for various reasons.
Catholic parishes strive to be a point of reference for those wishing to attend Holy Mass, find a priest for Confession, or simply experience a moment of prayer during their travels. In cities like Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara, and here in our small parish of Our Lady of Mercy in Urgench, visitors of various nationalities and even Christians of other denominations can find a community ready to welcome them with simplicity and fraternity.
In this context, we, the Consolata Missionary Sisters, strive to offer these people a discreet yet deeply welcoming presence, so that they can find a conducive environment for encountering the Lord. Therefore, in addition to participating in parish life, we help welcome these visitors, provide information on celebration times, and strive to create an environment where everyone can feel at home, even when far from their homeland.
Hospitality: a meeting point
The hospitality so characteristic of the Uzbek people finds a beautiful meeting point in the Church’s mission. Respect, listening, and cordiality, values deeply rooted in the local culture, also become tools of silent evangelization. Often, even before words, it is a smile, a shared coffee, or a discreet conversation that reveals the welcoming face of Christ.
In a land where Catholics are few, every gesture of welcome becomes a precious testimony. The Church in Uzbekistan reminds us that mission begins not only with the explicit proclamation of the Gospel, but also with the ability to help each person experience, even if only for a few days, the joy of being welcomed as a brother or sister.
You come?
In short, our mission is to reveal God’s love that welcomes every person, regardless of culture, ethnicity, or religion. This is especially evident here, where the faces of different people create a beautiful mosaic with the photos we take after each meeting. “Be a welcoming place wherever you are, for we do not know when the Lord will visit us!”
In Africa, it is said that “A guest is like a river: he brings life and newness along his path,” and Kazakh tradition echoes this truth with a profound saying: “A guest brings blessings to the house” (Kazakh proverb).
We thank God for this immense gift, because by welcoming others, we welcome Him, faithful to the exhortation of the Letter to the Hebrews: “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers; for by so doing, some have entertained angels without knowing it” (Hebrews 13:2).
If one day you wish to come to Kazakhstan or Uzbekistan, know that our doors will always be open to welcome you. Ours are small homes, it’s true, but full of love, and we will be happy to share everything we have with you.
We look forward to seeing you in Zhanashar and Urgench, where diversity transforms into communion and every encounter becomes a caress from God.
Sister Hellen Njoki and Sister Andrea Carvalho, mc
