Vilnius
On June 17, 1982, the bishops and administrators of Dioceses were summoned to the office of the Religious Affairs Commissar. Besides the commissar, Assistant Prosecutor Barauskas of the Lithuanian SSR spoke. He emphasized that strict measures will be taken to enforce the Regulations for Religious Associations.
Veiviržėnai (Rayon of Klaipėda)
On July 25,1982, the Sacrament of Confirmation was administered with throngs of the faithful in attendance. This annoyed the atheists no end. The night of July 27-28, they broke into the church. The cuprits, unable to break into the large safe-type tabernacle tore out its anchor points, wrecked the center portion of the high altar, demolished the throne of exposition, and carried off the entire tabernacle. The pastor, Father Juozapas Janauskas summoned experts from Klaipėda. They determined that the crime was committed by two adults and one minor. In the spirit of atonement, many of the faithful approached the wrecked high altar on their knees, weeping bitterly. Solemn services of reparation were scheduled for August 22.
Laukžemė (Rayon of Kretinga)
During the night of August 3, 1982, culprits broke into the church and wrecked the alms boxes.
Kėdainiai
On April 1, 1982, the Associate Pastor of the Parish at Kėdainiai, Father Kęstutis Daknevičius, sent a petition to Central Committee Secretary, P. Griškevičius, of the Communist Party of Lithuania, concerning the persecution of youth.
On April 15, a representative of the Central Committee arrived at Kėdainiai in connection with the matter. Father Daknevičius was summoned to the Executive Committee. Participating in the discussion were Kėdainiai Rayon Executive Committee Vice Chairman A. Juškevičius and an assistant prosecutor. The interrogation began: "You have direct ties with the Vatican? Why are you complaining that the 'situation is difficult'?" asked the arrivals. The priest explained that he has no direct ties with the Vatican, but that the situation is truly difficult because they are persecuting religiously believing students in the school. At the conclusion of the discussion, the representative from Vilnius reminded the priest that it was forbidden to teach children religion. The only thing allowed was to quiz the children in the confessional.
On May 3, Vice Chairman Juškevičius of the Rayon Executive Committee telephoned to say that there would be no answer in writing to the April 1 petition of Father Kęstutis Daknevičius.
On June 4, Father Daknevičius was once more summoned to the prosecutor's office. The priest would not sign the warning placed before him.
Girdžiai (Rayon of Jurbarkas)
On July 9, 1982, Secretary (Mrs.) B. Bileckienė of the Jurbarkas Rayon Girdžiai District Executive Committee sent Father Viktor Šauklys, Pastor of Girdžiai, the following communication:
To: Comrade Viktoras Šauklys
The Executive Committee of the Girdžiai District Council of Peoples' Deputies warns you not to entice children to the performance of religious ceremonies.
Rokiškis
In December, 1981, security agents carried out a search at the home of Vytautas Šablinskas, the Rokiškis Church sacristan, without any warrant. They seized all his audio tapes containing sermons of Fathers Alfonsas Svarinskas, Sigitas Tamkevičius and Juozas Kau-neckas. The chekists warned Šablinskas not to try anymore to tape the sermons of these priests.
Šaukėnai (Rayon of Kelmė)
On July 27, 1982, in the Kelmė Rayon newspaper, Komunistinis žodis (The Communist Word) Jonas Stakutis tried to defend the contrived atheistic funeral services of Petras Liesis, in the course of which Teacher (Mrs.) Rakauskienė kept interrupting with rude remarks. Father Antanas Liesis' attempts to deliver a sermon at the cemetery. The newspaper lies when it says that, "No one ever saw the Liesis' darken the doors of a church". That is not true! The people of Šaukėnai know that the Liesis' used to go to church and that the deceased was in church before his death, and received Holy Communion.
Pilviškiai (Rayon of Vilkaviškis)
On June 25, 1982, the invalid beggar (Miss) Kastancija Šeške-vičiūtė died in Pilviškiai. Retired Teacher (Mrs.) Širvinskienė approached District Chairman Žibutis of Pilviškiai, requesting a casket and assistance to dig the grave. The Chairman asked, "How are you going to bury her, with Church or without?" When it was explained that the deceased was going to be interred with church services, Chairman Žibutis catagorically refused to lend assistance for the funeral.
Kastancija Šeškevičiūtė was interred with church services. The casket, opening of the grave transport, etc., were taken care of by parishioners of Pilviškiai.
Aukštelkė (Rayon of Šiauliai)
(Mrs.) O. Stankienė, residing in Vilnius, R. Armijos 36-4, went to Commissar P. Anilionis of the Religious Affairs Committee, asking permission to bring a priest for her sister confined to the Aukštelkė Old Age Home for the second year. The Commissar for Religious Affairs replied that a priest could be brought in if the old people themselves requested it. On May 21, 1982 (Mrs.) Stankienė asked the Director of the Aukštelkė Old Age Home and he agreed to allow the priest into the morgue. Word of the priest's visit reached the old age home, and other elderly people, who begged with tears in their eyes that the priest be brought to see them, also. (Mrs.) Stankienė made a list of the elderly people desiring to see the priest, with their signatures and room numbers.
As (Mrs.) Stankienė, Šiauliai resident (Miss) Misiūnaitė and Vilnius resident (Mrs.) Norbičienė were preparing the morgue for the priest's visit, the director came and expelled them from the premises. When the women asked what had happened, the director began to threaten to call the militia, and he began to shout that he allowed them to bring a priest only for the patient (Miss) Markevičiūtė.
The women went to Vice Chairman Caparas of the Šiauliai Rayon Executive Committee. The Vice Chairman stated that in the old age home, the priest may administer the sacraments only to those who are dying or ill. Moreover, he promised that by the end of the week, everyone desiring to receive the sacraments would be taken care of. However, three weeks have gone by, and no one is allowed to summon a priest for the elderly people who wish one.
Kaunas
On June 11, 1982, KGB agents carried out a search at the home of Kaunas resident (Miss) Terese Kurtinaityte, residing at TSRS 50-cio g. Nr. 16-92. Participating in the search were five chekists and two women. The warrent had the entry that the search was being carried out in connection with the reproduction of the Chronicle of the Catholic Church in Lithuania. During the search, the chekists were extremely disappointed to find nothing. They took only a typewriter and a religious book. They departed without leaving even a record of the search.
On July 28, 1982, during interrogation, Terese Kurtenaitytė was informed that her typewriter would be returned promptly, as soon as the case of the Chronicle of the Catholic Church in Lithuania is closed.
Vilnius
In May, the sad news spread throughout Vilnius that Father Ričardas Černiauskas, Associate Pastor at the Church of St. Michael, was being transferred. When this priest came to St. Michael's Church, so many of the faithful would gather to listen to his sermons, that many of them were forced to stand outside in the foul weather. Father Ričardas Černiauskas was especially loved by the youth of Vilnius so it is not surprising that he displeased the enemies of the Church. When news of the transfer of Father Černiauskas spread, delegations of people began to stream in to see the Administrator of the Archdiocese, Father Algirdas Gutauskas. Everyone was moved by the fate of this zealous priest. Whose idea had it been to transfer him as Assistant Pastor to Marcinkoniai Parish, located among forests, where barely a few elderly people gather for Sunday services? When it became clear that this appointment was inspired by the Council for Religious Affairs, Father Černiauskas refused to take it, and informed the faithful accordingly. A couple of thousand faithful of Vilnius went to the Apostolic Administrator of the Archdiocese of Vilnius, the exiled Bishop, Julijonas Steponavičius, requesting that he intervene so that Father Černiauskas would not be appointed to Marcinkonis, but left in Vilnius. In their petition, the people of Vilnius wrote, "The faithful know of only one 'fault' of his: he is a zealous priest. How should we understand the fact that priests who have compromised themselves morally are working in large city parishes, and even at the chancery, while devout priests are isolated from the youth and from larger centers?"
