On June 23, 1979—midsummer's eve—a group of young people gathered at the tiny church of Paveisninkai which had been vandalized at the hands of the godless. At sunset, the group of youngsters, carrying a cross on their backs, singing hymns and saying the rosary aloud, headed for the spot where it had once been planned to build a church. Prayer rang out with hope on that quiet night, like a call to awaken the nation.
Several minutes later a beautiful cross bearing the inscription "Lord, renew the face of our Nation!" was erected.
Shortly, the security police and militia of Lazdijai stirred into action, searching for the youths who had erected the cross. The militia never displays such zeal in catching hoodlums.
On July 2nd, Vice Chairman VI. Kavaliukas took 10th-grader Antanas Tamanauskas from his home to the Kapčiamiestis militia department. The student was interrogated, threatened with dire consequences if he remains silent. At the militia, the Vice Chairman asked who organized the evening, who made, who blessed and who erected the cross, from where so much youth had come. The boy claimed he knew nothing.
"You won't graduate middle school and will be taken to a children's colony," threatened Inspector Kavaliukas. When he released him to go home, the agent ordered the boy to tell no one, not even his parents, about the interrogation.
On June 28, 1978 Tiesa (Truth) published an article by correspondent Vytautas Žeimantas entitled "Slander from the Pulpit" in which the author brutally attacked the pastor of Viduklė, Father Alfonsas Svarinskas, with various fabrications. The faithful of Viduklė wrote a letter of protest to First Secretary Griškevičius of the Lithuanian SSR Communist Party. The letter was signed by over 1,000 believers.
The faithful also wrote to Žeimantas, but of course received no reply. In lieu of a reply, Security Police Interrogator Major Matulevičius came to the Blinstrubiškis Nursing Home on March 28, 1979 and interrogated patient Stasė Navardauskaitė who had dared to defend the pastor.
When he arrived, the Major stated he would conduct the interrogation without any outsiders. Assistant Director Danutė Lipeikaitė left the room. Major Matulevičius then locked the door, took out a sheaf of papers and said:
"Let's begin ..."
After a series of meaningless questions, the interrogator suddenly asked:
"What can you tell me about pastor Svarinskas of Viduklė?"
"What can 1 tell you other than that he is a good man, a good priest, eloquent. His sermons draw people, are inspiring and rouse people from moral stagnation."
Kaunas
On May 29, 1979, Liudas Simutis was informed at the militia department of the Rayonof Panemunė of the City of Kaunas that he must leave Lithuania within 24 hours.
After serving 22 years in the Gulag for participating in the opposition movement against the occupant, Liudas Simutis returned to Lithuania and formed a family. Unfortunately, a Lithuanian does not have the right to live in his homeland. He must be replaced by a foreign occupant.
Simutis refused to leave. Lithuania. The militia has thus far remained silent.
Vilkaviškis
While making a speech at the Vilkaviškis Sewing Factory on July 12, 1979, Secretary Tėvelis of the rayon party committee stated that crosses are being erected here and there in the rayon of Vilkaviškis. Although the laws do not forbid the erection of crosses, they must be removed when they are erected in "prohibited" places. This has happened in ourrayon: A cross was erected on the grave of a "bandit" (pure fabrication — Ed. note); it therefore had to be removed as a monument to the enemy. A second cross was erected on an ancient mound located halfway between Vilkaviškis and Kapsukas. Secretary Tėvelis called this mound a "historical landmark" where all excavation is forbidden, this cross therefore also had to be removed.
Pasvalys
On January 29, 1979, a Week of Atheism was declared at the Pasvalys Middle School. A display of student artwork on atheist subjects was held. As in all such programs, the students were unwilling to participate. There were barely several drawings from the upper grades, all others (some 40) were from grades 5 and 6 where the students had to draw them during art class. Teacher Slanciauskiene went into classrooms and demanded that the drawings be finished more quickly.
During the night of February 1 to 2, all the drawings and the atheist school newspaper disappeared, and a poster with excerpts from the Constitution of the Lithuanian SSR (art. 50) was hung on the bulletin board: "Citizens of the Lithuanian SSR are guaranteed the freedom of conscience; that is, the right to profess any religion whatsoever, or not profess any, practice religious cults or conduct atheist propaganda. Fomenting discord and hatred in connection with religious beliefs is forbidden. The church in the Lithuanian SSR is separate from the state and the school from the church."
In the morning, the teachers quickly set up a new display in order to conceal the "theft."
A meeting of middle school and university students, attended by some 300 persons, was held on February 3rd. Proclamations were pasted to unoccupied seats, the Lithuanian tricolor flag was conspicuous, as well as slogans: "Russian occupants go home!", "Freedom for Lithuania!" and others. Short four line poems:
"Red, green and yellow,
Our tricolor flag.
Let's fight for freedom, brothers,
And Lithuania will once again be free, etc.
BELORUSSIA
Gervėčiai
The pastor of Gervėčiai, Father Stanislov Chodygo, died in September 1978. Although Polish, he respected the Lithuanians and during services also read the gospel in Lithuanian.
The inhabitants of Gervėčiai, Rimdžiūnai, Giriai and other villages endeavored to get a new priest from Lithuania. Father Petravičius came, but it soon became apparent that the district refused to register him.
The priest of Rodunė also died at the end of 1978. And so, not only Rodunė, but the inhabitants of the Lithuanian island of Pelesa were left without a priest.
At the beginning of 1979, the priest of Barunai, Father Kozlovskį who served several parishes, died at the age of 85. Thus, the last remaining priests are beginning to die out in Belorussia.
Novego Dvor
On April 23, 1979, the pastor of Novego Dvor and Vosiliškiai, Father Antonij Chanko, was issued a warning at the rayon because children serve at Mass.
Several weeks later, the rayon government imposed a 20-ruble fine on Father Chanko and the chairman of the N. Dvor church committee because children participated in the Easter procession.
August 16, 1951
Marijampole Rayon Council of Workers Deputies Executive Committee
To: The Executive Committee of the Liudvinas Catholic Parish
In reply to your statement regarding permission to hold services on August 26, 1951 and hold a procession around the church, I inform you, as directed by the chairman of theRayon Executive Committee, that priests are not allowed to come from outside the parish.
The procession is not permitted in the churchyard, because the churchyard is not completely screened from the outside.
Chief of the General Department
Andriusaitis
August 1, 1963
Liudvinavas District Council of Workers Deputies To: The Pastor of the Liudvinavas Church
The Executive Committee of the Liudvinavas District Council of workers Deputies informs you, on the basis of a telegram received from the Executive Committee of theRayon of Kapsukas, that permission is not granted to hold any devotions in August of this year in connection with spreading livestock disease.
Chairman of the Liudvinavas District Vaida
FELLOW LITHUANIAN, DON'T FORGET!
Petras Plumpa, Nijole Sadunaite, Sergei Kovalev, Vladas Lapie-nis, Balys Gajauskas, Viktoras Petkus, Petras Paulaitis and others who bear the shackles of prison so that you may freely live and believe.
Liudas Simutis who served 22 years in Soviet labor camps for the freedom of the Nation and Church is being driven out of Lithuania!