Aid to the Church in Russia Working to Re-Build the Christian Faith in Russia.

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 6, 1999--

$1.5-Million Renovation Project Complete -- Historic

Catholic Cathedral to be Re-Dedicated in Moscow Days Before

Christmas

Aid to the Church in Russia, a non-profit Christian organization working to assist the Church in Russia, announced today that it will re-dedicate a historic Catholic cathedral in the heart of Moscow on December 12, 1999 -- at a time when Russia continues to face both political and economic turmoil -- and just days before the celebration of Christmas.

"This is an important and historic development," said Father Marcel Guarnizo, President of Aid to the Church in Russia. "We have worked closely with the Russian government and are re-opening this magnificent cathedral -- a very visible sign in the heart of Moscow that Christianity has survived. In order for Russia to succeed with its economic and social development, there must be a spiritual and moral renewal. This re-dedication is a critical step in that direction. The church will not only provide a place for prayer, but will also serve as a source of hope for the Russian people. There is no better Christmas present for the people of Russia than the reestablishment of a place of worship where they can re-build and nourish their faith -- something that is so critical to the re-birth of Russia itself."

Aid to the Church in Russia (ARC) raised nearly $1.5-million in the United States to renovate and restore the Immaculate Conception Church, a massive cathedral built in 1911 in Moscow. With the Communist Revolution in 1917, nearly all of the Roman Catholic churches in Russia were either destroyed or used by the government for other purposes. The Immaculate Conception Church in Moscow was used as office space for many years until 1995 when the Russian government returned the cathedral to the Catholic Church. Aid to the Church in Russia then began its massive restoration project, which will conclude with the re-dedication of the church on December 12, 1999.

The completion of the restoration project for the Immaculate Conception Church represents the third restoration project in Russia for ARC, which has successfully renovated a cathedral and seminary in St. Petersburg, Russia.

"The communist regime did its best to eliminate the Catholic Church," said Father Guarnizo. "Before the Communist Revolution in 1917, there were 300 Catholic Churches in Russia -- at the end of the revolution, there were only two. The Communist government tried to break the back of Christianity and the Catholic faith. This systematic attempt to eliminate Christianity did not work. Despite decades of repression, the Christian faith has survived. It is clear that the soul of man cannot be destroyed."

Father Guarnizo said top government officials in Moscow have been invited to attend the Dec. 12th ceremony. At the same time, he says a delegation of Catholic leaders from Russia, Europe, and the United States will be in attendance -- including the Cardinal Secretary of State for the Vatican, who will preside over the re-dedication ceremony.

He said the re-dedication ceremony to be held December 12th comes nearly 88 years to the day when the church first opened its doors in 1911. And, he says, it is also important to note that the re-dedication comes just days before Christmas.

"We are delighted that this cathedral will be open to celebrate the birth of Christ," said Father Guarnizo. "Christmas is the season of hope and on the eve of a new millenium, it is our prayer that this re-dedication ceremony marks the beginning of a moral and spiritual rebirth inside Russia that is critical the country's economic and social development."

The Catholic Church in Russia

While it is impossible to determine the number of Roman Catholics living in Russia today, Father Guarnizo estimates there are between 500,000 and 1-million Russians whose spiritual roots can be traced back to Catholicism.

The Immaculate Conception Church represents only the second Catholic Church that has been renovated and re-opened for worship in Moscow since the Communist Revolution.

Father Guarnizo was ordained to the Roman Catholic priesthood in 1998 in St. Petersburg, Russia -- one of the first Roman Catholic priests ordained in Russia in nearly 80 years. He estimates that there are some 12 Catholic Churches now in various stages of renovation and restoration throughout Russia.

He said there is still a tremendous need for the financial support of those in the United States to help with this massive project. "The Russian people simply cannot undertake this task themselves. It is clear that Russia's economic and social problems cannot be solved without a return to the moral and spiritual values that were once a part of this country. We have been blessed by the support of many in the United States who want to help the people of Russia experience the hope and love found in a faith in Jesus Christ."

About Aid to the Church in Russia

Founded in 1995, Aid to the Church in Russia (ACR) is a non-profit organization established to help meet the enormous needs of the Church in Russia. ACR works closely with the Catholic leadership in Russia and is committed to building bridges between the East and West, so that spiritual, material, and cultural forces may effectively be brought together for the reconstruction of a Christianity in Russia.

In 1998, Aid to the Church in Russia helped restore the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in St. Petersburg, Russia -- the first cathedral re-built in European Russia since the Communist Revolution. ACR has also provided funding to renovate the Queen of the Apostles Seminary -- Russia's only Catholic seminary -- in St. Petersburg in 1996. At the same time, ACR is now working on its next restoration project -- a $1-million dollar renovation of the Church of St. Catherine in St. Petersburg scheduled for completion by the end of 2000.

Aid to the Church in Russia is also working to provide educational programs and humanitarian aid to the people of Russia.

Aid to the Church in Russia is based in Great Falls, Virginia -- a suburb of Washington, D.C. The organization's Web site address is www.aidrussia.org.