ASHGABAT (UCAN) -- Catholics in Turkmenistan's capital, Ashgabat, gathered to celebrate the Assumption of Mary, and to pray for registration of the Catholic Church in the country.

A group of about 20 Catholics came to Transfiguration of the Lord Parish in Ashgabat on Aug. 15 for the Solemnity of the Assumption.

Oblate Father Andrzej Madej, superior of the "sui iuris" (self-governing) mission of Turkmenistan, urged them to follow the Blessed Mother's example of faith and dedication in their lives.

During the Mass, churchgoers voiced appeals for Mary's intercession in their personal lives and also prayed for registration of the parish.

The late Pope John Paul II erected the "sui iuris" mission on Sept. 29, 1997, and entrusted local Catholics to the care of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate. Since that time, the Catholic Church in this Central Asian country has been seeking to officially register its status with the government.

Polish Father Madej told UCA News the Holy See and the government of Turkmenistan are in the process of reviewing the statutes of the parish, which is necessary for state approval.

The chapel, which hosts up to 50 Catholics on Sundays, is currently based in the two-story house that serves as the Apostolic Nunciature in Turkmenistan.

The local Church, small as it is, has nonetheless been a source of spiritual support for Catholics in the country.

Tamara and her daughter Natalia found understanding and support at the capital parish. "I came here for my daughter," Tamara told UCA News following the Mass. A fall left Natalia unable to walk, a situation her mother blames partially on inadequate medical attention. Since then, Tamara said, Natalia's friends have forgotten her and the church remains her main place for meeting others.

Victoria, 69, says she has advanced heart disease and her 30-year-old son is an invalid, but she feels sure that her tribulations have brought her to God. She said she has learned how to pray to God through the intercession of saints. Despite her son's illness and her divorce, she told UCA News she is living through the happiest period of her life, because the Church helps her stay in tough with God.

For Nina, Masses and recollections have been powerful experiences. "Now I try more and more to live up to Christian values," she elaborated.

The Catholic Church presence in Turkmenistan goes back to the late 19th century, when Russia annexed Central Asia, then known as Turkistan. In 1904, local Catholics contributed to the building of a church, which was torn down in 1932 during the campaign against religion in the Soviet Union.

Since Turkmenistan gained its independence in 1991 following the breakup of the Soviet Union, its government has accorded official recognition to only two religions -- Islam and Russian Orthodoxy.

Turkmenistan, with a population of about 5 million people, is the least populated of the former Soviet republics in Central Asia. The Turkmen are the predominant ethnic group. Muslims, mostly Sunnis, make up 87 percent of the people. Russian Orthodox followers are the second largest group at 2 percent. Other religious communities form about 1 percent. Among them, Catholics number about 500, according to Annuario Pontificio 2005, the Vatican yearbook. The remaining 10 percent of the people consider themselves atheist or agnostic.

Independent Turkmenistan declared itself a neutral and secular nation. Saparmurat Niyazov, who has been in power since 1985 and retained control after the fall of the Soviet Union, is president for life. He is known as Turkmenbashi, "Leader of All Turkmen."

END

(Accompanying photos available at here)