Only about 10 percent of the priests in Russia are Russian. The rest, like Father Nowotny, hail from places such as Italy, Poland and Spain. This amalgam of different languages and liturgical styles can lead to culture clashes.
Recently, a group of Argentine missionaries prepared for Pentecost by blanketing their church in red: red on the walls, red curtains, red carpet. Little did they know that in Russia, Pentecost traditionally involves the color green.
“The parishioners were quite frightened,” Father Nowotny recalled. “The color red in Russia represents the Communist Party. They thought they had entered a Soviet rally.”
