When we set out for Tashkent (Uzbekistan) on September 15, 2025, the journey took us through sun-scorched land and vast steppes that turned copper-colored at dusk. The air was filled with dust and the scent of spices from the bazaars, and in the shade of old mulberry and walnut trees, life seemed to move slower, as if to the rhythm of the muezzin’s call to prayer. It was here, in the heart of Central Asia, that we met women yearning for the Word that would restore their hope.
A brief overview of the project itself. It was born several years ago in Kazakhstan. The team leading the project consists of Sister Anastasis Omielczenko ZMBM, originally from Ukraine, Sister Madlen Hofmann FM, who was born in Kazakhstan, and myself – Sister Kazimiera Wanat, a CSFN member from Poland. Until now, we have been accompanied by Father Hans Peter Reiner – SJM, a Bavarian priest with a Jesuit spirituality. Although each of us has different roots and the charism of our respective congregation, we strive to create one mission: to help women discover their dignity and beauty. We want to help women hear that their femininity is a gift, not a cross; that each of them is precious, loved, and unique in God’s eyes; that true beauty and dignity flow from God’s gift, not from the world’s opinions, and that women have an irreplaceable mission in the Church and in the world.
Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan are parts of Central Asia where being a woman often means struggling with a lower social status, dependence on men, and a lack of support in raising children. Femininity is often perceived more as a burden than a gift. The absence of a husband is often perceived as a lifelong tragedy, and the fear of loneliness pushes many women to painful compromises. Tragically common, though often silenced, are experiences of domestic violence, exploitation, and abortion.
Over twenty women came to Tashkent for the retreat – not only from the capital itself, but also from Bukhara and distant Urgench. We met in simple parish halls, shaded by trees and far from the hustle and bustle of the city. These were days filled with prayer, silence, and heartfelt conversations. The women poured out their hearts – many of them cried: some from pain, others from relief that finally someone was listening to them, and still others from emotion, rediscovering that they are important, loved, and unique. Together we experienced God’s grace, which cleanses and heals with His presence. Each of these Samaritan encounters brought tears, but also joy: the joy of seeing oneself anew, the joy of finding one’s voice, and the feeling that, in God’s eyes, I am a Daughter of the King. The women who came thirsty for meaning and comfort left with a new hope, just like the Samaritan woman leaving the well with living water.
Thanks be to God for each of these women and for those who supported us. We thank the Sisters of Charity—Renata, Ilona, and Małgorzata—who serve in Tashkent for their open hearts, and Bishop Jerzy Maculewicz, who opened his home to us, enabling us to meet in an atmosphere of true community. The Catholic Church in Uzbekistan is small and scattered. In a country dominated by Islam, Christians live in modest conditions, often overshadowed by daily difficulties. Therefore, events like “SAMARITAN” are a breath of fresh air and a sign of hope for them.
The hot wind blowing dust across the cracked earth, the lush greenery of gardens in the valleys, the water flowing in the worn riverbed— these images will stay with me for a long time. Because this is precisely how I imagine the lives of Christian women in this part of the world: fragile and inconspicuous, yet capable of blossoming in the most difficult conditions, once touched by grace. The retreat in Tashkent was a sign that the Gospel continues to generate life even where the land seems barren.
Text and photos: Sr. Kazimiera Wanat – Kazakhstan
Flickr album: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjCvTkQ
