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Martyrs |
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| Fr.
Aleksander Wladymirowicz Mien (1935-1990), |
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“Jesus Christ…you promised to grant us peace, but you don’t want us to be unattentive slaves; give us strength so that we be attentive and remain faithful to you – and to you alone.” Aleksander Wladymirowicz Mien was born to a Jewish family in Moscow. He was baptized at the Orthodox church several months after his birth, together with his mother Helena Siemjonowa. He decided to become a priest, but began with the study of biology, which he was attracted to as well. In 1958 he was dispelled from university when his religious bent became public. Besides suspicion was raised because of his Jewish roots. In 1960 Aleksander Mien was ordained a priest and he was appointed to oversee the parish at the village Nowa Derewnia which he led for 20 years. He revealed himself as a friend of the poor and simple as well as an outstanding contributor to the world of scientific knowledge. In Nowa Derewnia he wrote brilliant books (i.e. “History of religion. Searching for the way, the truth and the life.”). Mien was the author of 10 books and he organized translations of Protestant and Catholic publications (he was a clever advocate of ecumenism). He engaged in the study of world religion, published numerous articles, gave talks and wrote commentaries on Holy Scripture. He gathered intellectuals (he was friends with Solzenicyn), who were attracted by his eloquence and wisdom as well as by the joy that he radiated in spite of exterior circumstances. Aleksander Mien’s deepest desire was the reconstruction of the Orthodox Church and his activities in this area naturally disturbed the KGB. He was constantly shadowed, taped, recorded and secretly followed. When Gorbachev’s “pierestrojka” introduced political relief, Fr. Aleksander was the first to go into the schools, universities, libraries and to well-known publishers and TV. His activities however became more and more inconvenient, which, in a time of growing antisemitism and anticatholicism, aroused resistance. On Sunday, September 9, 1990, Aleksander Mien, still near his house, was hit in the head with an axe while on his way to church. The murderer was never caught and the case was not pursued with much effort. The life of Fr. Mien was filled with concern for the Church, a love for science and the joy of human existence. |
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