DRUSKININKAI
When Novikas became the chief physician at the city hospital, priests were forbidden to set foot inside in order to administer religious rites to dying or critically ill patients. In mid-April of 1973, a patient named Petras Kalinauskas, who was ill with cancer, requested that a priest be called for him. When the patient's wife went to ask for permission, Novikas, the chief physician, berated and ridiculed her and then drove her out of his office. The dean of Druskininkai had appealed to the commissioner of the Council for Religious Affairs and to Kleiza, the minister of Public Health, regarding such interference in ministering to the religious needs of the sick. Although these dignitaries had assured him that no such prohibitions are allowed, as we have seen, at the hospital in Druskininkai the situation has not changed.
VARĖNA
The wooden columns in the vestibule of the church in Varėna should have been repaired long ago so the parochial committee decided to replace them with new ones. This matter was discussed with a Varėna architect and several artists, oaken timbers were obtained, and work was begun, but in April, 1973, the vice-chairman of the rayon executive committee ordered all work to cease.
In the summer of 1972, the rotting roof of the Varėna church had been undergoing repairs. The roofer, who was a Party member, was ordered by the authorities to abandon this work.
In 1972, the Varėna Parochial Committee had requested executive committee Vice-Chairman J. Visockis for permission to hook up to the town's waterworks to obtain water for the flowers in the churchyard. The vice-chairman did not grant them permission, explaining that there was a shortage of water. Later, water was obtained from the railroad station. The sanitary engineer, who was a Party member, was rebuked for installing the water supply system.
