From our correspondent in Baku,
Fr Rastislav Hamracek
"We are full of joy for this visit. It is a small miracle, because we Catholics are very few and so the work of preparation for such a great visit is all up to us. But for this very reason it has generated greater unity among the parishioners," said the parish priest, Fr Vladimir Baxa.
"Our young people are very happy, because in Krakow during World Youth Day they saw the pope from afar, like a tiny white dot. Now they can welcome him in their own church. I am personally very grateful to be able to serve the Pope during lunch in the community, especially because it's my birthday" says Sister Slavka Butkova, FMA, who has been living in Baku for a year.
The Salesian community in Baku is composed of seven priests – five Slovaks and two Indians - and two Salesian Brothers, both Slovak. A year ago, two FMA sisters arrived from Slovakia, while the Missionaries of Charity, the Sisters of Mother Teresa of Calcutta, have been working in Baku for several years.
