The four Catholic bishops of the Russian Federation – Mgr. Paolo Pezzi, Archbishop of Moscow and President of the Bishops’ Conference, Mgr. Clemens Pickel, Bishop of Saratov, Mgr. Joseph Werth, Bishop of Novosibirsk, and Mgr. Kirill Klimovich, Bishop of Irkutskhave – have gathered for their autumn plenary meeting at the Major Seminary of Mary Queen of the Apostles in St Petersburg from 13 to 14 October. The work focused on a series of questions about the liturgical calendar, but among the main topics were also “vocations to the priesthood and to the monastic life, as well as the formation of future priests”, a statement released at the end of the work reads. The bishops also dealt with Church-State relations. According to the statement: “participants in the meeting expressed the hope that the new law of the Russian Federation aimed at combating terrorism and regulating the missionary activity will not create insurmountable obstacles to the work of the structures of the Catholic Church in Russia”. The new apostolic nuncio to the Russian Federation, Archbishop Celestino Migliore, who attended the work, “reiterated his commitment to providing all the necessary assistance to the structures of the Catholic Church in Russia”.