An inflatable Catholic church from Poland to Russia

An inflatable and itinerant church from
Poland to Kamchatka, the Russian Far East. 

It is the idea of the
Catholic parish priest of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsk, Father Krzysztof
Kowal, who having failed to obtain permits and funding to build a place
of worship has availed of this sort of "ploy". 

The initiative was
proposed to him by a long-time friend in Poland who builds inflatable
toys for children.



"Many people – he told the BBC Russian service- do not even know that
there is a Catholic priest in the city and there is not a single
Catholic church in the peninsula, so when we meet in homes, the people
think that we are a sort of cult ". 

Before the arrival of the travelling
parish, the local community gathered for prayer in hotel rooms, or
outdoors near rivers or lakes.



The new church (pictured), exposed in Poland before leaving for Russia,
"weighs" 100 pounds and will be available for the faithful as of
September 15, reports Interfax-Religion. 

Fr. Kowal also plans to move
with his parish to different places depending to meet the needs of the
faithful, regardless of weather conditions. 

In Kamchatka, winter
temperatures can drop to -40 degrees. 

Source