The memoir, With God in Russia, offers readers a vivid window into the social
dynamic in Russia during the conclusion of the Second World War and the first
decades of the Cold War. Relating firsthand experiences from this place and
era, With God in Russia is not simply an autobiography
containing dramatic historical themes. On the contrary, this book serves as a
treasury of theological depth, revealing the Finger of God in seemingly broken
situations. Written in 1964 A.D., With God in Russia was the
first of two memoirs penned by the American-born Jesuit priest, Fr. Walter J.
Ciszek S.J. (the second being his 1973 book, He Leadeth Me).
His remarkable story stands as an example of perseverance for the sake of
the Gospel. After being declared Servant of God in the late twentieth century, "on
March 21 [2006] the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints opened an
official investigation into the life and virtues of Father Walter J. Ciszek,
S.J."[1] With God in Russia recounts the years spent by Fr. Ciszek in the prisons of
Soviet Russia and the Siberian labor camps, portraying them as “an ‘adventure’”
and “heroic narrative of his resistance to a godless regime.”[2] Although it never strays from its initial
focus on Fr. Ciszek’s experiences, With God in Russia incorporates
the lives of several distinctive individuals, each of whom either parallel or
contrast the attributes exhibited by the author. The reader is thus gifted with
a glimpse of the inner structure of the human person, and each of the components
forming man’s spiritual and psychological composition.
In an effort to illustrate for his readers the intricacies of his
story, in his book, With God in Russia, Fr. Ciszek paints a
striking historical image. The events of his account occurred during the Second
World War (1939-1945) and the Cold War (1947-1991), a time of extreme worldwide
social unrest, particularly in the Soviet Union. At this time, the powers of
Communism battled the Church with continuous brutality, and “Catholics
throughout the Soviet Union saw their churches desecrated, seminaries and
Catholic schools closed, and the practice of the faith generally driven
underground.”[3] As a result of their religious beliefs, countless priests,
nuns, and faithful laity disappeared into the prisons and work camps of
Communist Russia. Nevertheless, the ever-present danger of arrest did not deter
numerous courageous individuals from the mission of evangelization. Fr. Ciszek,
the author of With God in Russia, offers one such example of
heroism. Seeking to respond to the spiritual needs of the impoverished men and
women adjusting to the War’s destruction of their homeland and to the
Socialistic move toward collectivization of workers, Fr. Ciszek obtained
permission from his superiors to enter the Russian workforce. Although he was
well-aware of the possible consequences were the government to discover his
religious motives, he did not hesitate to answer the call of Christ. In doing
so, Fr. Ciszek highlighted the complete faith which alone sustained him, as
evidenced by his words, “only in God would I put my trust.”[4]
Fr. Walter Ciszek opens his book, With
God in Russia, discussing the time spanning from his childhood to the early
years of his priesthood. Although brief, this section builds for the reader a
thorough appreciation of the author’s character. Rather than focusing solely on
his positive attributes, Fr. Ciszek becomes vulnerable to his readers,
deliberately and humbly sharing his flaws in temperament. As the book
progresses, this previously acquired insight into Fr. Ciszek’s person leads to
both understanding and admiration of the author. An excellent example of the
connection between his personal attributes and the structure of his story can
be found in his “Polish stubborn streak.”[5] Throughout the chapters of With God in Russia,
it becomes evident that Fr. Ciszek harnesses this negative quality,
transforming it for use in the service of Christ. It was this firm
determination which led him to Russia. After his arrest under the false
accusation of being a “Vatican spy,”[6] it was similar Christ-centered willpower which carried him through
nearly a decade in the Russian Lubyanka prison and fifteen years in
the Siberian GULAG. Moreover, it was his stubborn nature that led Fr. Ciszek to
courageously persist in his priestly role regardless of the dangers and
difficulties, ministering to countless troubled souls.
Throughout With God and Russia, Fr.
Ciszek never loses sight of the theological dimension of his story. Each
element of his memoir pertains to two fundamental themes, namely, trust and
Presence. As he daily experienced the evils of the Communist regime, the Soviet
Prison camps became for him a school in spirituality. Over time, Fr. Ciszek
came to comprehend that only in God would he obtain solace. One finds this
expressed in his words, “for myself, I had no fear. I put all my trust and
confidence in His divine will...I repeated over and over again: ‘Thy will be
done.’"[7] This insight was paired with a profound recognition of God’s
indwelling within his being. With his characteristic obstinacy, Fr. Ciszek
refused to allow the surrounding darkness blind him to this Presence. This is
not to imply that he was free of all internal darkness during his decades in
Russia. Rather, it was by constantly redirecting his attention to the reality
of the Divine’s innermost Presence, through unfailing dedication to his Jesuit
prayer life, that Fr. Ciszek’s soul remained receptive to Christ.
When pondering With God in
Russia, readers find much practical advice for building a healthy
relationship with God. Regardless of whether their circumstances are as extreme
as Fr. Ciszek’s, the themes which he discussed remain relevant to each person.
Just as the author of With God in Russia was fortified by his
embrace of the Divine Will when faced with uncertainty, so too does trust in
God’s all-encompassing Presence offer each man and woman constant consolation.
I highly recommend reading With God in Russia as, through its
detailed account of Fr. Ciszek’s encounter with God in painful surroundings,
the book creates a roadmap to personal growth. In telling his own story of
perseverance, Fr. Ciszek provides his readers with practical advice concerning
their own life challenges. Although the author’s use of vocabulary is
particular to the book’s Russian setting, With God in Russia is
written in an uncomplicated style. Fr. Walter Ciszek’s book, With God
in Russia, accomplishes the purpose for which it was penned,
recounting “honestly and plainly”[8] the story of his time in Soviet prison, while ultimately
illumining the indispensable Presence of the Divine Who, in the words of the
author, "called me to, prepared me for, [and] then protected me during
those years in Siberia.”[9]
[1] "Benedict XVI's Renouncement of the Papal Title 'Patriarch of the West,'" Catholic Historical Review 92, no. 3 (2006), 370.
[2] Gregory Freeze, Alexey Beglov, Nadezhda Beliakova, and Evgenia Tokareva, "Catholics in the Soviet Union: New Research and New Sources on Everyday Religious Life (1917-1958),” Catholic Historical Review 106, no. 3 (2020), 482.
[3] John Vidmar, The Catholic Church Through the Ages, A History, 2nd ed. (Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 2014), 349.
[4] Walter J. Ciszek, With God in Russia (San Francisco, CA: Ignatius Press, 1964), 124.
[5] Ciszek, With God in Russia, 24.
[6] Ciszek, With God in Russia, 184.
[7] Ciszek, With God in Russia, 354.
[8] Ciszek, With God in Russia, 17.
[9] Ciszek, With God in Russia, 17.
Image Credit: "With God in Russia," at www.amazon.com.
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