This issue is dedicated to the late Father Bronius Laurinavičius, a good soldier of Christ and Lithuanian Helsinki Group member who gave his life and his death for the future of the Church and Homeland.
THE CHRONICLE OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN LITHUANIA No. 50
In this Issue:
1. A Brief Review of Events October through December 1981
2. The Death and Funeral of Father Bronius Laurinavičius
3. The KGB Intimidates Young People
5. Thank you for your Sacrifice!
6. Why Does Šiluva Terrify the Atheist Authorities?
Lithuania....................................... December 8, 1981
A Translation of the Complete Lithuanian Original LIETUVOS KATALIKŲ BAŽNYČIOS KRONIKA Nr. 50 Documenting the Struggle for Human Rights In Soviet-Occupied Lithuania Today
Translated by: Vita Matusaitis
Translation Editor: Rev. Casimir Pugevičius
Copy Editor: Marian Skabeikis
Published by the Lithuanian R.C. Priests' League of America 351 Highland Blvd. Brooklyn, NY 11207
©Lithuanian Roman Catholic Priests' League of America 1982
Franciscan Fathers Press 341 Highland Blvd. Brooklyn, NY 11207
COVER: Rev. Bronius Laurinavičius, member of the Lithuanian Committee to Monitor the Helsinki Accords, murdered on November 25 1981.
CHRONICLE OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN LITHUANIA No. 50
Introduction
In 1940, when the Soviet Union occupied Lithuania by force, 85.5% of the country's more than 3 million inhabitants were Roman Catholic, 4.5% Protestant, 7.3% Jewish, 2.5% Orthodox and 0.2% of other persuasions.
In the two archdioceses and four dioceses were: 708 churches, 314 chapels, 73 monasteries, 85 convents, three archbishops, nine bishops, 1271 diocesan priests, 580 monks, of whom 168 were priests. Four seminaries had 470 students. There were 950 nuns.
Nuns cared for 35 kindergartens, 10 orphanages, 25 homes for the aged, two hospitals, a youth center, and an institute for the deaf-mute.
On June 15, 1940, the Red Army marched into Lithuania; the independent government was replaced by a puppet regime.
On July 14-15, rigged elections were staged. On July 21, with the Red Army surrounding the assembly house, the new People's Diet "unanimously" declared Lithuania a Soviet Socialist Republic.
On June 25, 1940, the Church was declared separate from the state, and the representative of the Holy See was expelled.
Parish lands were confiscated, clergy salaries and pensions were cut off, and their savings confiscated. Churches were deprived of support. Catholic printing plants were confiscated, and religious books destroyed.
On June 28, 1940, the teaching of religion and recitation of prayers in schools was forbidden. The University's Department of Theology and Philosophy was abolished, and all private schools were nationalized. The seminaries at Vilkaviškis and Telšiai were closed, and the seminary at Kaunas was permitted to operate on a very limited scale. The clergy were spied upon constantly.
On June 15, 1941, 34,260 Lithuanians were packed off in cattle cars to undisclosed points in the Soviet Union. After World War II, the mass deportations resumed and continued until 1953.
Vincentas Borisevičius, Bishop of Telšiai, was arrested on February 3, 1946, and condemned to death after a secret trial. Before year's end, his auxiliary, Bishop Pranas Ramanauskas, was also arrested and deported to Siberia. Bishop Teofilius Matulionis of Kaišiadorys and Archbishop Mečislovas Reinys of Vilnius were deported to a Siberian labor camp. Archbishop Reinys perished in prison at Vladimir, November 8, 1953. By 1947, Lithuania was left with a single bishop, Kazimieras Paltarokas, of Panevėžys. He died in 1958.
In 1947, the last convents and monasteries were closed, their communities dispersed, and all monastic institutions were outlawed.
After Stalin's death in 1953, there was a slight improvement in the religious situation. Bishops Matulionis and Ramanauskas were allowed to return to Lithuania, but not to minister to their dioceses or to communicate with the clergy or laity.
Bishop Ramanauskas died in 1959, and Archbishop Matulionis in 1963.
In 1955, two new bishops were appointed by Rome and consecrated: Julijonas Steponavičius and Petras Maželis. Steponavičius has never been permitted to administer his diocese.
Bishop Vincentas Sladkevičius, consecrated in 1957, is also under severe government restrictions. In 1965, Monsignor Juozas Labukas-Matulaitis was consecrated in Rome to head the Archdiocese of Kaunas and the Diocese of Vilkaviškis.
Relaxation of pressure on religious believers soon revealed that the Lithuanian people were still deeply religious. It was decided in the mid-fifties to resume the attack. The principal means of attack would be unlimited moral pressure, since physical terror seemed only to strengthen and unify the faithful.
In 1972, the Chronicle of the Catholic Church in Lithuania, clandestinely published in that country, began to reach the free world at irregular intervals. Primarily intended to keep Catholics in Lithuania informed of the situation of the Church there, these Lithuanian samizdat also serve as a constant appeal to the free world not to forget the plight of a people struggling against overwhelming odds to defend their religious beliefs and to regain their basic human rights.
Rev. Casimir Pugevičius Translation Editor
Read this and pass it on! Appearing since 1972
INDEX OF PERSONS
Adomaitis, 46, Atkinskas, A., 61, 62 Ališauskas, 47 Alminas, 45 Anilionas, 53, 54, 58 Arlauskas, Father K., 58 Arro, Tonis, 31 Aužbikavičius, Julijonas, 48
Baguška, 47, 48 Bakaitienė, (Mrs.), 63 Baliūnas, Father Feliksas, 44, 45, 50 Baltraitis, 50, 51, 52 Banienė, (Mrs.), 67 Banytė, L. (Miss), 67 Bardauskienė, (Mrs.), 65 Baukutė, Irma, 63 Baumann, Michaela, 55 BelevičiOtė, Daiva, 13 Bilger, G., 55 Borisevičius, Bishop Vincentas, 2 Brauklys, Pranas, 58 Brazdžionis, 37 Briliūtė, Birutė, 15 Bulach, Eduardas, 46, 47 Bulika, Father Bronislavas, 44 Buzas, Kazimieras, 45
Chščenavičienė, Danutė, 35-37 Chščenavičius, Albinas, 35-37 Chščenavičius, Gintaras, 35, 36 ChščenavičiOtė, Odeta, 35 Cibauskaitė, (Miss), 15 Cibirauskaitė, (Miss), 15 Ciesiūnas, Stasys, 13, 14
Dagienė, (Mrs.), 13 Dambrauskas, S., 54 Damm, Claudia, 55 Dauneckas, A., 61 Delpša, 49 Dievynienė, (Mrs), 52 Dirvonskis, Jonas, 64 Dobranskienė, (Mrs.), 68 Dudonienė, Aldona, 65 Dudonis, Alvydas, 65 Durneikienė, (Mrs.), 65
Fischer, E. A., 55
Gajauskas, Balys, 70 Garuckas, Fr. Karolis, SJ, 5, 12 Gevilas, Father, 44 Ginkutė, Audronė, 19 Gluoksnys, Vytautas, 15 Gluoksnytė, Audronė, 15 Gražulis, Kazimieras, 40 Griciūnienė, (Mrs.), 65 Grigaitytė, Rasa, 63 Grigas, Robertas, 17 Griškevičius, Petras, 35, 44, 52, 56, 58, 62, 64, 69 Gritaitienė, Jadvyga, 69 Grigaitis, Antanas, 69 Griškus, Arvydas, 69 Griškus, Jonas, 69 Grušienė, M., 54 Gudaitytė, M., 67 Gylys, Algis, 17, 18, 66
Heidner, G., 55 Hieronymus, Friar, 54 Herres, G., 55 Hoogen, G. 55
Iazvikov, Innocentiy, 54 Iešmantas, Gintautas, 27, 70 Ignatavičius, (Mrs.), 17 Ivanauskas, Remigijus, 40 Ivinskis, Z., 45
Jakimčienė, (Mrs.) 49, 50 Jankauskaitė, L., 54 Jankus, 42 Janulis, Anastazas, 70 Jaras, E., 33 Jasinskas, Rimantas, 35, 36 Jaugelis, Father Virgilijus, 56 Jekevičius, Justinas, 40 Judeikis, Mindaugas, 17, 66, 67 Juozapavičius, Father Pranciškus, 6 Juozaponis, D., 55 Jurevičius, Mečislovas, 12, 22, 23, 70 Juška, Arvydas, 34, 35, 64, 65 Juškevičius, 57
Kaiser, Benigna, 55 Kaminskaitė, Vida, 67 Kaminskas, 67 Katininkienė, (Mrs.), 13 Kauneckas. Father Jonas, 33, 34, 42,43,44,56 Kaušas, Rolandas, 49, 50, 51 Kaušienė, Jadvyga, 49, 50, 51, 52 Kazlauskaitė, J. (Miss), 67 Kazlauskaitė, Marytė, 67 Kazlauskienė, (Mrs.), 67 Keblauskienė, (Mrs), 53 Keina, Father Algimantas, 10 Kelam, Tanne, 31 Kelmelis, 14, 16, 64 Kelmelytė, D., 64 Kelpšas, Saulius, 15, 40 Kilijonaitė, Lina, 63 Kleišmanas, 50, 51, 52 Kolelkov, 36 Kormilcev, 60, 61 Kosakauskis, Msgr. Dr. Kalistas, 49 Kovalev, Sergei, 70 Krikščiūnas, Bishop, 6 Kublinskienė, A., 61 Kuras, 67 Kurtinaitis, J., 59 Kustner, Ursula, 55 Kvirevičiūtė, Asta, 63
Labukas - Matulaitis, Bishop Juozas, 2 Lauraitienė, Marijona, 69 Laurinavičius, Father Bronius, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 Lauritis, Algimantas, 69 Lauriūnas, Father Jonas, 10 Lazutkin, G., 8, 9 Lėkštutis, 52 Levanauskienė, (Mrs.), 53 Lideikis, Father Aloyzas, 47 Liesienė, Veronika, 55 Liesius, Father Antanas, 55 Liesius, Petras, 55 Lisauskas, 64, 65 Litvinas, V., 60, 61 Liutkienė, O. (Mrs.), 61 Lukauskas, 52
Maksvytienė, Kazė, 67, 68 Maksvytis, Linas, 68 Maksvytis, Simas (Simukas), 68 Maksvytis, Stasiukas, 68 Mališkaitė, Bena, 34 Masidunskas, Jonas, 48 Matulevičius, Archbishop Jurgis, 70 Matulionis, Father Jonas, 56 Matulionis, Bishop Teofilius, 2 Mažeika, Father Leonas, 44 Maželis, Bishop Petras, 2 Mekšrienė, V., 63 Mergelmeyer, Egon, 55 Merkevičiūtė, Vida, 64 Mickutė, 50 Mickuvienė, S. (Mrs.), 69 Mikutavičius, Father Vytautas, 42 Milerius, Father Adomas, 43, 44 Milutė, Aldona, 15 Misiūnas, L, 47 Mištautas, Stasys, 15 Murauskas, J., 47
Nalbach, H., 55 Navickaitė, Genė, 70 Navickas, R., 13, 14 Netkevičienė, (Mrs.), 67 Neufeld, A., 55 Norkūnas, 33, 34
Orlov, Yuri, 27
Pačinskas, Father Juozapas, 42 Paliukas, Father, 65 Paltarokas, Bishop Kazimieras, 2 Paulaitis, Petras, 19, 70 Pečeliūnas, Povilas, 27, 70 Pelionytė, Irena, 60, 61 Petkevičienė, Jadvyga, 50 Petkus, Viktoras, 23, 70 Plioraitis, Father, 18 Pluiras-Plumpa, Petras, 30, 31 Plumpa, Petras-Pluiras, 30, 31 Pope Paul VI, 25 Povilonis, Bishop Liudvikas, 5, 6, 7, 8, 41 Pridotkas, Father Alfonsas, 44, 59, 60 Proškas, 67 Pučkov, 53 Pukėnas, Father Kazimieras, 10, 11
Radvilienė, (Mrs.), 30 Rakauskienė, Irena, 55 Ramanauskaitė, Laimutė, 18 Ramanauskas, Bishop Pranas, 2 Reinys, Bishop Mečislovas, 2 Repšienė, Danguolė, 8, 12 Rubinas, Algis, 18, 19 Rudys, 58 Ruškus, 52 Ryliškytė, Valda, 13
Sadūnaitė, Nijolė, 45, 47, 54 Sadūnas, Jonas, 45, 46, 54 Sakavičius, Gintautas (Gintas), 17 Šaknys, Bernardas, 62 Samoilovich, G., 54, 55 Šapoka, Father Leonas, 43 Šarskas, 37 Sasnauskas, Julius, 25, 70 Scharansky, Anatoly, 27 Schefeld, V., 55 Schuster, A., 55 Šidlauskas, 17 Šimkus, 13, 14 Skiparis, Father Vytautas, 40, 47, 48 Skuodis, Vytautas, 70 Sladkeviičus, Bishop Vincentas, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10 Slavinskienė, (Mrs.), 52-53 Soloviev, Vladimir, 25 Stakvilevičienė, 52 Stalin, 2, 60, 66 Stanelytė, Jadvyga, 61, 70 Stankaitis, 13 Stankuvienė, (Mrs.), 65 Starrmann, C., 55 Staškuvienė, (Mrs.), 68 Statkevičius, Algirdas, 70 Staugaitytė, Kristina, 63 Stelgienė, (Mrs.) 13 Sternberg, (Ms.), 13, 14 Štembergas, 48 Steponavičius, Bishop Julijonas, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11 Stimpfle, Bishop Josef, 55 Straskauskaitė, Aldona 64 Striokaitė, Giedrė, 15 Striokas, Vidas, 15 Striukis, Father Antanas, 43 Sudavičius, Bronius, 19 Šukevičius, Nijolė, 15 Šurmaitis, Vytautas, 16 Svarinskas, Father Alfonsas, 40, 56
Tamašauskaitė, Roma, 15, 17 Tamkevičius, Father Sigitas, 56 Tėresius, Adis, 40 Teresiūtė, Regina, 15, 34 Terleckas, Antanas, 70 Tėvelis, 56 Tomson, Ants, 31 Trefter, D., 55
Ulickas, Father, 10 Urbonas, 37
Vaičiūnas, Vytautas, 12,20,21, 70 Vaičius, Father Antanas, 42, 44 Vaičys, 42 Vailionis, Jonas, 15 Vaitiekūnas, 9 Valaitis, Msgr. Feliksas, 47 Valentas, Gintautas, 17 Valinskaitė, Jolanta, 63 Valks, Hans, 55 Vandzinskas, 70 Variokis, Kęstutis, 32, 33 Vasiliauskas, 46 Vasiliauskas, Father Kazimieras, 10 Vasys, M., 54 Vėlevičius, Father Vincas, 62 Vilčinskas, Darius, 63 Vilkis, 68 Vinclovas, Alfonsas, 19 Vindašiūtė, Birutė, 58, 59 Vissak, Runno, 31, 32 Vitkauskaitė, Bronė, 28, 29 Vitkauskaitė, Ona (Onutė), 28, 29, 30, 34 Volskis, Aloyzas, 41 Vorobyova, Loreta, 13, 14 Vyšniauskaitė, Vida, 63 Vytautas the Great, 64 Weiss, Erich, 55 Zaleckienė, 14
Zalepūga, Jonas, 58, 59 Zarnecke, L., 55 Žąsytienė, Aldona, 69
Žemaitis, Kęstutis, 40 Žemėnas, Father Kazimieras, 10 Žibūdaitė, Alma, 17 Žilinskas, Antanas, 15 Žiliūtė, Jadvyga, 61-62 Žiprė, Algirdas, 50 Zovackienė, (Mrs.), 67 Zubavičiūtė, V. (Miss), 58, 59 Žukauskas, Romas, 37 Žukauskienė, (Mrs), 29
*
INDEX OF PLACES
Adakavas, 69 Kalesninkai, 11
Adutiškis, 8, 10, 12 Kaliningrad, 16
Akmenė, 49 Kapčiamiestis, 17
Alsėdžiai, 42 Kaunas, 1, 2, 6, 7, 24, 29, 30, 39,
Alytus, 37 40, 41, 58
Bačininkai, 45 Kazakhstan, 40
Bakai, 21 Kėdainiai, 35, 47, 56, 57
Batakiai, 41 Kelmė, 34, 55
Byelorussia, 11, 12 Klaipėda, 53, 54, 57, 58, 65
Ceikiniai, 11 Kontaučiai, 42
Chelyabinsk, 21, 23 Krakės, 47
Christopol, 30 Kretinga, 60, 61
Dambava, 52 Kuchin, 23
Gargždai, 53, 54, 58 Kuliai, 42
Garliava, 39 Kybartai, 37, 56, 64
Gaurė, 43, 44 Kyshtym, 23
Gervėčiai, 11 Lapiai, 57
Giliūnai, 11 Laukuva, 33, 34, 48
Greičiūnai, 58 Lazdijai, 16, 17, 66
Gudeliai, 66 Leipalingis, 16, 18, 66
Israel, 54 Lenin (Rayon of), 46
Kaišiadorys, 2, 4 Lieplaukė, 49
Lourdes, 4, 5, 7, 39 Lukiškiai, 30, 47
Lyduvėnai, 34, 62 Marijampolė, 22
Medingėnai, 42, 65 Mindūnai. 12, 13
Molėtai, 12, 13, 14, 19, 35
Mordovia, 50 Moscow, 4, 54
Mosėdis, 42 Pagiriai, 35, 36, 63, 64
Palanga, 48, 61 Palūšė, 7
Pamušys, 44 Panevėžys, 2, 7, 28, 32, 34, 69
Parabel, 26 Pažvelsiai, 58
Perm, 27, 30 Philadelphia, 5
Pikteikiai, 57, 58 Pilviškiai, 63
Plateliai, 41 Plungė, 42, 43, 44, 65
Pagramantis, 41 Poland, 17
Pravieniškiai (-kis), 21, 47 Prienai, 37, 45, 52, 67
Rainiai, 39 Raseiniai, 24, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 40
Rietavas, 42 Romainiai, 51
Rome, 2, 5, 6, 8 Sartininkai, 41
Šateikiai, 41 Šaukėnai, 55
Šiaulėnai, 35 Šiauliai, 44, 45, 49, 50, 51, 52
Šilalė, 34, 47, 48 Šilutė, 65, 67, 68
Šiluva, 18, 19, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 39, 56, 61, 64, 65, 66
Skaudvilė, 62, 63 Skuodas, 42, 58, 59
Smolensk, 21 Švenčionėliai, 10, 11, 12
Švenčionys, 10, 11 Sweden, 45
Tartu, 32 Tatar ASSR, 30
Tauragė, 42, 62, 69 Tauragnai, 48
Telšiai, 1, 2, 6, 33, 34, 39, 41, 42, 43, 49, 54, 59, 60, 70
Tirkšliai, 42 Trakai, 64
Tverai, 42 Tytuvėnai, 34
Utena, 48 Utriai, 58
Varduva, 41 Varniai, 33
Veisiejai, 66 Vembutai, 49
Viešvėnai, 42 Vilkaviškis, 1, 2, 14, 16, 17, 34, 39, 56, 63, 64
Vilnius, 2, 4, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, 22, 27, 30, 45, 46, 47, 54
Vištytis, 37 Vladimir, 2
Voronezh, 21, 22 Vseviatskaya, 27
Ylakiai, 42, 58, 59 Žagarė, 18
Žalioji, 37 Žarėnai, 59, 60
Žemaičių Kalvarija, 41 Žemalė, 42
Žygaičiai, 42
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