Confessional life of Petersburg roman Catholics in the 18th century

On the basis of little-known archival documents this article considers the processes of development of roman Catholic Church in petersburg in the 18-th century, reveals the dynamics of baptisms, weddings and burials. the paper also registers the believers’ participation in church sacraments and determines some parameters of parish increasing. In the first years of 18-th century the Catholic community totaled a few tens of the believers, to the middle of the century the parish included already more than two thousand persons, and by the end of the century consisted of 6-8 thousand. the author concludes that Catholics of petersburg did not yield to protestants in the measure of the confessional activity and at the same time Catholics have played a greater role in the formation of cultural and religious landscape of the Russian Empire. the organization of the cult and the confessional life of the petersburg Catholics had aided to actualize the sacraments and helped to the flock’s social adaptation. the petersburg Catholics became some influences on the russian society’s life.