Another Victim Claimed by the Grave ...
Early in the morning of October 30, 1975, while it was still dark, near the ferry to Aleksotas in Kaunas, a killer lurked, impatient to fulfill his mission . . .
(Miss) Stasė Lukšaitė came down the wooden steps on the Aleksotas hillside on her way to church. The killer, waiting for a convenient moment when no one was around, fell upon his victim like a hungry wild beast. . . He threw her down, cruelly wounded her, and ran away, leaving his half-dead victim lying in a pool of blood near the stairs . ..
She was taken to the hospital where an attempt was made to save her life. However, because she was wounded too severely and had lost so much blood (There was hardly any part of her body not wounded, especially the head.), her noble soul departed on November 5 . . . She was received by Him, Whom she faithfully served all her life.
She was buried on November 7 in the Viduklė cemetery.
Her remains were accompanied to the place of eternal rest by many people and a crowd of small children with flowers in their hands. They brought flowers for her who loved them very much and taught them.
Stasė Lukšaitė was born on March 17, 1917, in the village of Graužai, Province of Viduklė. In her childhood she belonged to religious organizations as an angelaiti, and later as apavasarininke). Feeling a call to devote her life to the service of God, she joined the Sacred Heart Sisters. Recently, she worked in a kindergarten and prepared children for First Holy Communion. Many of the faithful think that the preparation of children for their first confession was the main motive for the murder of Miss Lukšaitė.
Even while dying Miss Lukšaitė remained faithful to the Holy Gospel. Regaining consciousness before death, she said she forgave her murderer in the light-colored overcoat.
Those who try to hide murderers stated to the dead woman's sister, called for interrogation, that "this was an unfortunate incident, since the victim slipped while climbing the stairs and injured herself. To explain this event as "slipping" shows that it is essential to mask the murderers with lies so that they will be bold enough to carry on their deeds when they are needed again.
Such murderers are spawned by the indifferent, and those who themselves trample truth and love, and are determined to destroy faith, and to turn our previously sacred homeland into a den of murderers and thieves . . .
And yet.
Not everything perished in the dark. The heart welled up with warm blood And never learned to obey force. Mortuos voco! — I call upon the dead!
(Mykolaitis-Putinas)
The nation will not be calmed! In the ranks of today's young people there will be found those who will not be afraid of insane asylums, cold damp prison cells, barbed wire fences nor murder. Every drop of blood poured out by the innocent victims killed will be that seed blessed by God, from which the shoots of a new young generation will sprout forth. They will bring forth abundant shoots, blossom and produce new fruit for Church and nation!
Those who have died for the truth, for the love of Christ and His Church, will swell the ranks of millions of unknown martyrs and will adorn the Church and enrich the history of the nation.
At the graves of the dead will the nation's children meet, And thoughtful, they will silently bow their heads .... Here the cemetery trees will ever rustle and whisper The Angelus.
The flowers will pray: "Our Father. . ."
And the birds in the boughs of the trees
From early morning on will sing "Eternal rest. .."
While the souls of the fallen will rise to the Lord, in eternity . . .
