Vilnius. The students of the Grade VII d of the High School No. 41 in Vilnius decided to commemorate the 16th of February (Lithuanian Independence Day — Tr. Note). It was suggested that the students come to school that day wearing traditional Lithuanian ties instead of the pioneer neckties. Some of the students wrote slogans such as "Freedom for Lithuania!" on the houses.
Student A. Nagrockytė told her parents the plans of the class, and they passed all the news on to Security, where they are employed.
On February 17, Security Agent Kazlauskas came to the High School No. 41. Home Room teacher (Mrs.) Nijolė Varnienė of Grade VII d, Nijolė Varnienė, and all the teachers who taught grade VI d that day (Živilė Baltaduonienė, Gražina Kazlauskienė, Janina Petkevičienė, and others) were interrogated. Security was very actively assisted by Principal Vytautas Banevičius and Extra-Cur-ricular Activity Organizer, (Mrs.) Petkevičienė.
At the end of the trimester, during the meeting of the faculty, besides educational matters, this matter was also deliberated. Students Vytautas Jusevičius and Albinas Prakelis were interrogated by the principal himself, in the presence of all the teachers. The conduct mark of the more active students was lowered, and Home Room Teacher (Mrs.) Nijolė Varnienė, received a written reprimand for poorly performed work.
Principal Vytautas Banevičius continues his active cooperation with Security. On April 18 (Easter Day) he organized the Saturday student work force. As far as it is known, all the schools of Vilnius took part in this task on April 17 (Saturday); however, the School No. 41 had to work on Sunday.
The same kind of active cooperation was shown by Extra-Cur-ricular Activities Organizer (Mrs.) Janina Petkevičienė, who took a diary away from the student (Miss) Simonaitytė and gave it to the principal. The latter gave the diary to Security Man Kazlauskas.
The diary made it clear that the girl is a believer. Before interrogating student Simonaitytė, Principal Banevičius ordered her to answer only the truth to his questions, since a believer may not lie. Then he asked such questions as: What church do you attend? What priests have you seen there? Did you take part in a procession? Maybe the priest gives you money? Where did you buy a prayerbook?, etc.
The atmosphere at the High School No. 41 became depressing. The eye of the Security intrudes in the most intimate matters of conscience of teachers and the students.
Kaunas. A. Patackas, a doctoral candidate in mathematics and lecturer at the Agricultural Academy, was recently discharged from work and forced into early retirement for "the observance of religious superstitions".
Kaunas. Chairman Zabulis of the Committee of Higher and Special Intermediate studies ordered that the Saturday student work should be doue on Easter Sunday; that is, the 18th of April.
Some of the high schools decided to schedule the student work aid for other days, fearing that the students might not come to work on Easter Day.
At the Agricultural Academy, Easter Sunday was declared a work day to compensate tor the Saturday student work aid. Some students in higher grades announced in advance that they would not come to the activities on Sunday. And so it happened. Very few students were present at the Sunday lectures: In the first course of Forestry, only 50% were present, in the mechanization course, five out of seventy-two were present, and in some of the upper course groups only 4 to 5 students (out of 26-27) were present at the activities.
That student youth is not allowed to normally observe Christmas, is already taken for granted in Soviet Lithuania, but that Easter Sunday be made a work day is something new at the Agricultural Academy. The notice that Sunday (April 18) was a work day was signed by the new Dean of the Agricultural Academy Assistant professor Dorman-tas.
Krosna. The principal of the High School of Krosna, Dalius Mockevičius terrorized the girls of the 10th grade before Easter for attending church. He promised to catch those who take part in the Easter procession. Those who will take part in the procession will not be allowed to study anywhere.
Teacher (Mrs.) Navickienė calls those students attending church, cows.
Milašaičiai. (Rayon of Raseiniai) In the summer of 1975, a postal worker and her daughter were sorting correspondence at the post office in Milašaičiai. The young girl had with her her prayer book, which she laid on the windowsill of the post office. At that time, Teacher Ušinskienė entered the post office. Seeing the prayerbook, she started to berate the girl, and became so furious that she (seized) the prayerbook and threw it into the trash basket. Pushing the girl roughly, she ran out of the door.
The girl took the prayerbook out of the waste basket, cleaned it off and kissed it. People who were present in the post office and who saw everything which happened, were incensed. How can Teacher USinskiene teach the children of the believers? Who gave her the right to push the girl around?
Sasnava. (Rayon of Kapsukas). The Collective of the High School of Sasnava decided to turn all the students into atheists no matter what.
As Easter Sunday drew near, the teachers, with Principal Juozas Zdanys, cornered the believing students during recess and tried to convince them not to attend church at Easter. Special zeal was shown by these teachers: (Mrs.) Beniuliene, (Mrs.). Žygmantienė and (Mrs.) Scepanskienė. They threatened the students with future unpleasantness, a lowered conduct mark, etc. In spite of this, a large number of student took part in the Easter services, 68 of whom walked in the procession of the Resurrection. This number was noted by the English teacher, (Mrs.) Jenkevičienė, who arrived in an autobus at the church during the time of the procession) and without restraint took out a copybook and wrote something in it, while a photographer who jumped out of the same autobus took pictures of the procession. After Easter, the teachers berated the students: for daring to take part in the services; and threatened them with the lowering of conduct marks.
Teacher (Mrs.) P. Beniulienė thinks she will turn students into atheists by mocking priests, church ceremonies, Christ and the saints. Here are a few of her atheistic methods: "Children, what nonsense is spread by the faith. It says that in heaven the devils heat ovens with kettles of tar and pitch. I wonder where they get the tar up there?" Here the teacher burst into laughter.
The teacher is not satisfied by such mockery repeated in almost every one of her classes. After Easter, she came into class and said: "We will organize a present for the 1st of May, an evening mocking religion. It is most important that there should be plenty to laugh at." Here she read a poem which disgustingly mocks Christ and the saints, laughing loudly after each stanza.
The teacher assigned a student, Juozas Kučinskas, who attends church, to recite this poem at the atheistic evening program. When he steadfastly refused, the teacher was angry: "Look, if that is how it is, you will not see a good mark from me." She carried out her threat immediately. Later, having asked this student to recite his lesson, and after he did well, she announced: "I am giving you only
On April 24, 10th Grade Home Room Teacher (Mrs.) Žygman-tienė called student Elvyra Navikaitė to recite. She answered very well. Then the teacher demanded that the girl name all the students who took part in the Easter procession with her but the student refused to betray them. Teacher Žygmantienė gave student E. Navikaitė a "1" for recitation. When the student's mother approached the teacher regarding this matter, the home room teacher replied: "It is necessary for us to do this for atheistic propaganda."
Home room teacher Beniulienė of the Grade VII constantly threatens her students that those who attend church should not even prepare to enter an institution of higher education since her references for them will list them as fanatics, anti-social persons, etc.
A similar reeducation for turning students into atheists in the Sasnava High School is practiced not only by teacher (Mrs.) Beniulienė. Stupid and unconvincing nonsense is constantly told in the above mentioned style to students by the principal, Juozas Zdanys himself, by his assistant Bulota, by teachers Bulotienė, Daugėlienė and Ščepanskienė. After Easter they complained in class: "What a shame you have brought on the school! Ninety students were in church! How shall we explain this to the government of the rayon ?"
CORRECTION1
The Chronicle of the Catholic Church in Lithuania No. 21 contained news of the closing of the chapel of Kačergiškė, which was not completely correct.
The Rev. L. Savickas, pastor of Paringys, served also the chapel of Kačergiškė. After Father Savickas, the Chancery assigned to the small
1By the editors of the original
parish of Paringys the Rev. V. Jašukas, who like the priests who were in Paringys before him, was assigned to serve also the chapel at Kačergiškė. Even though Paringys and Kačergiškė are close to each other, the road connecting them is so bad that Father Jašukas did not want to travel it. The believers of the District of Kačergiškė promised to drive the pastor to their chapel by horse and wagon every Sunday; however, Father Jašukas refused. He therefore went to Vilnius to see Deputy for Religious Affairs Rugienis, and announced that he would not serve Kačergiškė. Rugienis was very surprised to hear of the existence of a chapel in Kačergiškė. He had not known of its existence, since after the war, when all churches were being registered, the chapel was not registered and did not have a parish council. This was the reason for the closing of the chapel.
The faithful of the District of Kačergiškė many times approached Vilnius and Moscow in person and in writing without results: Deputy Rugienis did not allow services to be held in the chapel.
