In modern times the Catholic Church obtained a presence in Tajikistan through Soviet deportations, and in 1974, churches were opened in Dushanbe (St Joseph Church, Dushanbe) and Qurghonteppa. Most of the early Catholics were Germans of Russian, Ukrainian and Lithuanian origin. Many Catholics fled the 1990s civil war following the Soviet Union collapse. In 1997, Pope John Paul II created a mission "sui iuris" for the country to be administered by the Institute of the Incarnate Word of Argentina. On 29 September 1997, the Holy See established the Mission "sui iuris" on territory split off from the then Apostolic Administration of Kazakhstan (shortly after promoted to Diocese of Karaganda, after "missiones sui iuris" were also split off for Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, all in 1997).