Ashgabat – “At the beginning of this incredible journey, I feel above all joy, but also a strong sense of responsibility. Every new assignment, especially one such as being appointed superior of the mission, brings a certain degree of concern and raises the question of whether one will be equal to what has been entrusted to him,” Polish missionary of the Oblate of Mary Immaculate Fr. Paweł Janusz Kubiak, recently appointed by the Holy See as the new Superior of the Missio sui iuris in Turkmenistan, tells Fides. He adds: “I look at this new mission above all through the lens of trust in God. My priestly journey has shown me time and again that God leads people in ways that are different from what they themselves would have planned. At one time I wanted to become a prison chaplain and work in Poland, but God first led me to Ukraine, then to the North Caucasus in Russia and Crimea, and later to Turkmenistan.” “Today,” he continues, “I can say that God’s will knows how to surprise us and lead us to places we had never even imagined. That is why I accept this new assignment with confidence. I am aware of the responsibility it entails, but I also feel joy at being able to continue serving the Church and the People of God.”
The Catholic Church in Turkmenistan is a very small community of around 300 faithful. It is a young community and is still in the process of developing its structures. “There are only a few of us throughout the country, and for this reason every person and every family who becomes part of our community is very important to us,” he notes.
In such circumstances, presence and the witness of one’s life take on particular meaning. “We do not have large facilities or a large number of priests. It is therefore even more important to be with people, to meet them, talk with them, listen to them and show through our lives what it means to have faith.” Fr. Kubiak says he is happy to see “people preparing to receive the sacraments, taking part in the Eucharist and wanting to know and love Christ ever more deeply. This is the Church, and it needs time, patience and, above all, a constant and faithful presence.”
But what is daily life like for Catholics and priests in such a remote setting? “Our daily life is very simple, but at the same time demanding. There is prayer, the Eucharist, confession, catechesis and the preparation of the faithful for the sacraments. We also devote a great deal of time to conversations and meetings with the faithful,” he explains.
“In Turkmenistan,” he points out, “pastoral ministry cannot be limited to what happens inside the chapel. It is very important to be present among people. Sometimes it is enough simply to sit down, talk and listen to someone’s problems. In this way too, we proclaim the Gospel.”
A second, very important aspect is assistance to those in need. “Thanks to the work of Caritas, we can distribute food, medicines and other forms of aid to people facing difficult circumstances. “We have also set up a place where homeless people can take a shower and wash their clothes,” he says. “For me, this connection is very important: proclaiming the Good News goes hand in hand with providing concrete help to people. Christianity cannot be just words. If we can help someone, we want to do so.”
The priest acknowledges “the great responsibility for the entire mission,” but, he observes, “I would not want to look at this ministry exclusively through the lens of major plans or new projects. For me, it is essential to continue what the Oblates of Mary Immaculate have already begun. They have been working here for almost 30 years, patiently accompanying the growth of the young Church in Turkmenistan,” while continuing pastoral ministry and the work of Caritas.
“Above all, I am not alone: I will work together with my confrères, Fr. Diego and Fr. Adrian. This is a mission of the whole Church and a shared responsibility. We simply want to be present, serve the people and do what God sends us to do,” he concludes.
The small Catholic community in the Central Asian country is also looking with confidence at some concrete steps taken in recent years. In 2025, the relocation of the mission’s main headquarters made it possible to establish a larger chapel and provide a separate space for Caritas activities, where food, medicines and other forms of assistance are distributed to people experiencing homelessness.
Today, three Catholic priests are serving throughout Turkmenistan. Entrusted to the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, the mission remains a very small presence in a vast country marked by great distances. The disparity between the size of the community and the breadth of the territory makes the missionaries’ task particularly significant: a daily presence marked by prayer, listening, witness and concrete closeness to the people.
The Catholic presence in Turkmenistan is relatively recent. Following the country’s independence from the Soviet Union, in 1997 Pope John Paul II established the Missio sui iuris of Turkmenistan, entrusting it to the Oblates of Mary Immaculate . For the first thirteen years, the missionaries were permitted to operate only within the diplomatic representation of the Holy See: Catholics gathered in private homes, while Mass was celebrated on the territory of the Apostolic Nunciature in Ashgabat.
In 2010, the Turkmen government officially recognized the presence of the Catholic Church, opening a new chapter in its public life. Today, almost 30 years after its establishment, the Missio sui iuris remains a small but stable reality.
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