Linkmenys (Ignalina Rayon)
On the Feast of All Saints in 1984, the pastor of Linkmenys, Father Jonas Laurifmas, after services in church as provided in the liturgical Ritual, went together with the faithful to pray in the cemetery, which is about 200 meters from the churchyard. Immediately, the pastor was summoned to the offices of the Ignalina Rayon Executive Committee. Vice Chairman Stankevičienė warned the pastor that by such behavior he had disturbed the public order and broken the law. "But even the atheists go to the cemetery to honor the dead! the pastor exclaimed. "This is discrimination against the faithful!"
"What discrimination? You can pray privately," retorted Mrs. Stankevičienė.
Šiauliai
On November 22, 1984, Father Vytautas Brilius, Associate Pastor of Saint George Church in the City of Šiauliai, was summoned to Šiauliai KGB headquarters to see KGB agent Edmundas Jekas. The KGB agent was interested in knowing how the earlier interview he had with Father Brilius had gotten into the Chronicle. The chekist tried to prove that the Chronicle is a libelous underground publication.
In response to concrete cases of discrimination against high school students submitted by Father Brilius, KGB Agent Jekas said, "It should come as no surprise that it is sometimes necessary for believers to suffer. After all, in school they are a minority... Chekist Jekas, by turn threatening Father Brilius with a compromising article in the republic newspaper, and in turn promising him a better parish, tried to presure the priest to cooperate with the KGB.
Šakiai
On December 25, 1984, in the church of Šakiai, signatures were being collected for the release of the prisoners Father Sigitas Tamkevičius, Father Alfonsas Svarinskas, Father Jonas Kastytis Matulionis and the youth Romas Žemaitys.
Several days later, Father Juozapas Gražulis, associate pastor of the church of Šakiai, was summoned to the office of the Rayon Executive Committee. Vice Chairwoman Eugenija Kasparevičienė accused him of urging people to sign texts of petitions.
On January 16, 1985, the Dean, Father Juozas Žemaitis, and three representatives of the parish church committee, Jeronymus Martinaitis and Juozapas Rakickas, were summoned to the offices of the Rayon Executive Committee. Vice Chairwoman, Mrs. Kasparavičienė, in the presence of Rayon Executive Committee Chairman Augonius, read a warning from Commissioner Petras Anilionis of the Council for Religious Affairs in which the pastor of the parish, Father Juozas Žemaitis, and the church committee, were sternly warned for allowing signatures to be collected in church.
Viduklė
Pastor Jonas Tamonis, of Viduklė, has already received three written warnings from Religious Affairs Commissioner Petras Anilionis because Mass was being held for the intention of the priest-prisoners, in his words, "state criminals".
On January 17, 1985, Chief Gardauskas of the Raseiniai Rayon KGB came to the rectory in Viduklė. The pastor, Father J. Tamonis, had gone to visit his sick mother. Substituting for him was Father Kęstutis Brilius. The KGB man demanded to see the priest's pass. After checking his documents, Gardauskas berated Father Brilius for working without registration. (Even though Father Brilius had come to Viduklė only two days prior.) The KGB agent strictly forbade Father Brilius to come to Vidukle.
On January 31, 1985, summonses were sent to the church committee to come to the Viduklė District offices. Only five members went. Chairwoman Nacienė of the Raseiniai Executive Committee and Vice Chairwoman Stonienė said that terrible things were happening in Viduklė. Commemorations were taking place, that is, Mass was being held for the intention of prisoners. They demanded that the church committee take steps to disperse the priests and believers gathering to pray. Moreover, they threatened to lock up the church of Viduklė that day, so that no one would be able to enter. The faithful did not aquiesce.
Kiaukliai (Širvintai Rayon)
On February 25, 1985, the pastor of Kiaukliai, Father Rokas Puzonas, was summoned to rayon offices to see Vice Chairman D. Tvirbutas of the Executive Committee, who proceded to acquaint the pastor with the following warning:
February 13, 1985
A Warning
It has been determined that on January 26, 1985, in the church of Viduklė (Raseiniai Rayon), the priest R. Puzonas without permission of the Raseiniai Rayon Executive Committee, organized and carried out religious ceremonies, during which he outdid himself in praising state criminals, the Rev. Sigitas Tamkevičius and the Rev. Alfonsas Svarinskas, using the church building to disseminate adverse propaganda and not to fulfill the religious requirements of the faithful.
Father Rokas Puzonas, by his actions, also offended against Art. 19 of the Regulations for Religious Associations, where it is stated that the area of activity by a minister of cult is limited to the place of the religious association he serves and the location of the corresponding house of prayer.
I demand that Father R. Puzonas obey Soviet law and I warn that for activity against the law, we will, in his case, be forced to take harsh measures.
Commissioner for Religious Affairs Petras Anilionis
February 8, 1985
Father Puzonas would not acknowledge in writing receipt of the warning.In his place, the witnesses, Mrs. Morkūnienė and Mrs. An-drikonienė, signed.
Kaunas
On January 4, 1985, Teresė Kurtinaitytė, working in a radio factory, was visited by KGB agent Kalashnikov. Pretending that he wanted to return a religious book, taken during a raid (See Chronicle No. 54 — Trans. Note), he took Miss Kurtinaitytė home from work with the intention of carrying out a search on the apartment she shared with Ona Dranginytė. In charge of the search was Chieflnves-tigator, Major Pilelis. During the search of Miss Dranginytė's room, Vladas Lapienis was arrested. They confiscated from Lapienis a typewriter, manuscripts of his memoirs from life in prison camp, several issues of the Chronicle of the Catholic Church in Lithuania and of Lietuvos Ateitis (Lithuania's Future); From the residents of the apartment: two typewriters and photographs of the prisoners Father Sigitas Tamkevičius, Father Alfonsas Svarinskas, Jadvyga Bieliauskienė and Father Virgilijus Jaugelis.
The search lasted three hours. At about 3:00 PM, Major Petrauskas took Miss Kurtinaitytė to KGB headquarters. During the interrogation, the chekists wanted to know whether Vladas Lapienis visited Miss Dranginytė often, whether there was not in Miss Dranginytė's room a typewriter, when Miss Kurtinaitytė entered the convent, who had enouraged her in such a step, what the name of the congregation is, what Miss Kurtinaitytė's name in religion is, when she made her religioius professim, how m any Chronicles she had copied, perhaps she knows who writes the Chronicle, etc.
After an hour and a half of talk, Chekist Petrauskas expressed the hope that Miss Kurtinaitytė had understood everything. Entering the office, Major Pilelis suggested that Miss Kurtinaitytė sign the search report, hut the suspect refused.
