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This issue is dedicated to FATHER SIGITAS TAMKEVlČlUS, member of the Catholic Committee for the Defense of Believers' Rights, who by his life has demonstrated the most beautiful love for God and Country.
CHRONICLE OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN LITHUANIA, No. 58 
In this issue:
1. The Trial of Father Alfonsas Svarinskas 4
3. The Friends of Father Alfonsas Svarinskas Speak 18
5. Jadvyga Bieliauskienė Sets Out Again on the Gulag Road 25
6. Raids and Investigations 26
11. The Church in the Soviet Republics 49
Lithuania May 22, 1983
CHRONICLE OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN LITHUANIA No. 58
A Translation of the Complete Lithuanian Original LIETUVOS KATALIKŲ RAŽNYČIOS KRONIKA Nr. 58 Documenting the Struggle for Human Rights In Soviet-Occupied Lithuania Today
Translated by: Rev. Casimir Pugevicius Translation Editor: Marian Skabeikis
Published by the Lithuanian R.C. Priests' League of America 351 Highland Rlvd. Rrooklyn, NY 11207
©Lithuanian Roman Catholic Priests' League of America 1983
ISSN 0197-0348
Franciscan Fathers Press 341 Highland Blvd. Brooklyn, NY 11207
COVEB: Father Sigitas Tamkevičius, Pastor of the parish in Kybartai, Lithuania. A member of the Catholic Committee for the Defense of Believers' Rights, he was arrested May 6, 1983, at the trial of Father Alfonsas Svarinskas.
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 oft, 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, was kept under severe government restrictions until 1982. In 1965, Monsignor Juozas Labukas-Matulaitis was consecrated in Rome to head the Archdiocese of Kaunas and the Diocese of Vilkaviškis. Two new bishops were consecrated in 1969: Bishop Romualdas Krikščiūnas was appointed Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Panevėžys, and Bishop Liudvikas Povilonis was appointed auxiliary to Bishop Labukas, and succeeded him after his death in 1979.
In 1982, Bishop Sladkevičius was permitted to return to his diocese as Apostolic Administrator of Kaišiadorys. Father Antanas Vaičius was named bishop and Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Telšiai and the Prelature of Klaipėda.
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 Editor
INDEX OF PERSONS
Adomaitienė, Ona, 51 Alberkienė, (Mrs.), 45 Aleknavičius, 39 Aliulis, Father Vaclovas, 32 Andropov, Yuri, 44, 47 Anilionis, Petras, 33, 34
Babarskytė, Ona, 50, 5J, 52 Baicevičius, A., 50 Bakaitienė, (Mrs.), 45 Bakučionis, 8, 11, 13 Baltinas, 25 Banevičiūtė, (Miss), 15 Bieliauskienė, Jadvyga, 3, 25, 26, 51 Bobinaitė, Reda, 45 Borisevičius, Bishop Vincentas, 1 Boruta, Father Jonas, 19, 21 Brazdžionis, Bernardas, 26 Bubnys, A., 36 Budvytytė, Kleofa, 8 Buliauskaitė, (Miss), 15 Bulota, Father, 16
Cidzikas, 15 Cukuras, Father Valdemaras, 12, 13 Čaikauskaitė, (Miss), 8 Černiauskas, Father Ričardas, 32 Čėsna, 16
Daknevičius, Father Kęstutis, 8, 16 Dovydaitis, Father Gvidonas, 6,8 Dubauskaitė, (Miss), 15 Dūkštas, 17
Gajauskas, Balys, 51 Gajauskienė, (Mrs.), 15 Garbinčius, Mindaugas, 37 Garličikienė, (Mrs.) Z., 32 Gavėnaitė, 26 Gavėnaitė, (Miss), 15 Gavėnaitė, Monika, 5, 26 Gavėnas, 26 Gavėnas, Julius, 27 Grabliauskienė, (Mrs,), 16 Grigas, Antanas, 37, 40, 41, 42 Grikevičius, 31 Grinevičius, 31 Griškaitienė, Ona, 22 Griškevičius, 31 Gudanavičius, Father Gustavas, 13 Gylys, A., 36
Iešmantas, Gintautas, 51 Ignotas, 8
Janulis, Anastazas, 51 Janušaitis, J., 46 Januškevičienė, (Mrs.), 43 Jaugelis, Father Virgilijus, 9 Johnson, Lyndon, 24 Judikevičiutė, (Miss), 15 Judikevičiūtė, Janina, 8 Jurašius, Vytautas, 37 Jurevičius, Mečislovas, 51
Kalinauskas, Father Leonas, 8 Kanevičius, J., 50 Kanonenko, 27, 28 Karpavičius, Antanas, 39, 40 Kauneckas, Father Jonas, 6,8,12, 15, 32 Kavaliauskaitė, (Miss), 15 Kavaliauskaitė, Ona, 21 Kazlauskas, A., 19, 21 Keina, Father Algimantas, 8 Kelpšas, Jaunius, 16 Kelpšas, S., 15 Kelpšas, Saulius, 8, 16 Kelpšas, Valdas, 16 Kiziuk, A., 49 Koldov, 24 Kosygin, 24 Kovalev, Sergei, 51 Krikščiūnas, Bishop Romualdas, 2 Krinicinienė, (Mrs.), 46 Kruopienė, Marija, 50 Kryževičienė, (Mrs.), 15 Kukučionis, Rimgaudas, 43 Kunevičius, J., 50 Kuodytė, (Miss), 15 Kurminienė, (Mrs.), 38, 39 Kurnikas, 27 Kuzmičius, N., 49, 50
Labukas-Matulaitis, Bishop Juozas, 2, 24 Lapienienė, (Mrs.), 15 Lapienis, 15 Lauriūnas, Father Jonas, 8 Lukošaitis, Father Antanas, 8
Mačiokaitė, (Miss), 15 Mačiokaitė, Teresė, 8 Mališkaitė, 6 Marcinkus, Juozas, 39, 40 Matulionis, Bishop Teofilius, 1, 2 Matulionis, Father Jonas, 6, 8 15, 21, 22, 47 Mažeika, Admundas, 51 Maželis, Bishop Petras, 2, 23 Merkevičiūtė, Vida, 27, 28 Meškauskaitė, (Miss), 15 Milvidaitė, Dalė, 45 Mindžiulienė, (Mrs.), 49 Miškinis, Father Julijonas, 8 Mištautas, 15 Murašauskienė, (Mrs.), 45
Navickaitė, (Miss), 15 Navickaitė, Bronė, 35, 36 Navickas, Father Zenonas, 38, 39
Orlov, 42
Pakamanis, Father Algirdas, 8 Paltarokas, Bishop Kazimieras, 2 Paulaitis, Petras, 17 Paulionis, Father Edmundas, 8 Pečeliūnas, Povilas, 51 Petkevičienė, (Mrs.), 15 Petkus, 45 Petkus, Viktoras, 28, 29, 51 Petraitis, A., 41 Petronė, (Mrs.), 49 Plioraitis, Father Ignas, 8, 37, 38 Pocevičius, A., 36 Povilonis, Bishop Liudvikas, 2 Preikša, Father, J., 19, 21 Pridosikienė, (Mrs.), 45 Pupkienė, Janina, 4 Puzonas, Father Rokas, 6, 8
Ragaišienė, (Mrs.), 15 Raižytė, (Miss), 16 Ramanauskas, Bishop Pranas, 1, 2, 18 Raslanas, 32. 33 Razmantas, Father Juozapas 6, 8, 15, 16, 27 Reginienė, (Mrs.), 49 Reinys, Archbishop Mečislovas, 1, 2 Rekašius, Arūnas, 8, 16 Rekašius, Kęstas, 16 Rugienis, 23, 24
Sabalis, 42 Sadūnaitė, Nijolė, 24. 28 Sadūnienė, Marytė, 28 Saint Peter, 21 Sakavičius, 16, 37 Sakevičius, Gintas, 42. 43, 44 Sakavičius V iktoras, 37 Sakavičius, Vytas, 44 Sasnauskas, Julius, 51 Saukienė, (Mrs.), 15 Skelčius, Father Antanas, 23 Skuodis, Vytautas, 51 Sladkevičius, Bishop Vincentas 2, 10, 33, 34 Slipyj, Cardinal Josyf, 15 Sniečkienė, (Mrs.), 45, 46 Stakėnas, Father Vaclovas, 15, 25 Stalin, 2 Stanelytė, (Mi§s), 15 Stankevičius, A., 50 Starkevičius, Algirdas, 51 Steponavičius, Bishop Julijonas 2, 14, 32, 33, 34, 35 Stravinskas, 42 Striouginis, Antanas, 39 Svarinskas, Father Alfonsas, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 22, 25, 26, 27, 32, 37, 39, 41, 44, 48, 51 Svarinskas, Vytautas, 4 Šakalienė, (Mrs.), 15 Šapoka, 26 Šapoka, Father Leonas, 11 Šarakauskaitė, (Miss), 15 Šarakauskaitė, Zita, 27 Šidlauskas, S., 43, 44 Šidlauskienė, (Mrs.), 43 Šikšnys, Father Valentinas, 8 Šumskas, Juozas, 39 Šupenienė, (Mrs.), 16 Šupenytė, (Miss), 16
Talačka, Jonas, 39, 40 Tamašauskaitė, Roma, 8 Tamkevičius, Father Sigitas, 3, 4, 10,11, 12,15, 19, 20, 22, 23, 24, 25, 29, 32, 46, 47, 51 Teresiūtė, Regina, 5, 27 Terleckas, Antanas, 29, 30, 51 Terleckienė, Elena, 30 Trimirka, Virginijus, 46 Trimirkienė, Ona, 46 Truskauskaitė, (Miss), 16 Tumėnas, 24
Umrasaitė, (Miss), 15 Urbonas, Juozas, 24, 39, 46, 47, 48 Urbonavičius, 38, 39 Urbonienė, (Mrs.), 43
Vaičius, Bishop Antanas, 2 Vaičiūnas, Vytautas, 51 Vainoras, Alvydas, 6 Vaišvila, 22 Vaitonis, Father, Jonas, 8 Vaivada, T., 26 Valaitytė, (Miss), 15 Valentas, Gintas, 43 Valiukevičiūtė, Janė, 49 Vanagas, Liudas, 37 Varnelis, Romas, 43 Vazgelevičiūtė, (Miss), 15 Velikanova, 13 Velavičius, Father Vincas, 12, 17 Vinclovas, 16 Virbalis, 23 Vitkauskaitė, (Miss), 15 Vitkauskaitė, (Miss), B., 15 Vytautas, 50
Zalapūga, J., 36 Zdebskis, Father Juozas, 8,12,24, 40,41 Znamenskis, A., 12 Zubrus, Father Jonas, 8 Žemėnas, Father Kazimieras, 8 Žibūda, 37 Žibūda, Antanas, 43 Žibūda, J., 42 Žibūda, Romas, 36, 37 Žibūdaitė, Alė, 42, 43 Žibūdaitė, Alma, 42, 44 Žilinskas, Antanas, 16 Žilys, Father Kazimieras, 8
INDEX OF PLACES
Adutiškis, 17 Alanta, 17 Alytus, 17, 23
Birštonas, 34 Bolcheska, 49 Byelorussia, 48, 49
Ceikiniai, 17
Daugėliškis, 17 Dubičiai, 49 Dubingiai, 7 Dubiniai, 50
Gardinas, 48 Garliava, 8, 25 Gižai, 39 Griškabūdis, 16 Gudoniai, 23
Ieckava, 23 Ignalina, 23 Jakutiškiai, 27
Kaišiadorys, 1, 2, 39 Kaltinėnai, 17 Kapčiamiestis, 37, 38, 42, 43, 44 Kapsukas, 8, 27 Kareivoniai, 37 Kaunas, 2, 6, 8, 14, 16, 23, 27, 30, 31 Kekinė, 45 Kelmė, 5. 27 Klaipėda, 2, 6 Kudirkos Naumiestis, 23 Kybartai, 4, 6, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24, 27, 46, 47
Labanoras, 17 Lazdijai, 23, 36, 37,40, 41,42, 44 Lelioniai, 38, 39 Liepalingis, 40, 41, 42, 43 Lyda, 50
Magadan, 29, 30 Mažeikiai, 23, 45 Mielagėnai, 17 Minsk, 49 Molėtai, 17 Mordovia, 18 Moscow, 49
Nedingė, 16 Nemenčinė, 7
Pabiržė, 34 Pagramantis, 9 Pajūris, 17 Pakiršinis, 51 Palūšė, 17 Panevėžys, 2 Pelesa, 48, 49, 50 Pilviškiai, 6, 45, 46 Pirčiupis, 6, 11 Prienai, 23, 24, 38, 39, 50, 51
Raseiniai, 26 Rodunė, 49 Rome, 2 Russia, 18 Rūdninkai, 7
Seirijai, 23 Siberia, 1, 2 Simnas. 24 Skaudvilė, 17 Sklaustė, 45 Skuodas, 35, 36 Smalvos, 17 Šakiai, 24, 33 Šalčininkai, 7 Šiauliai, 32, 33 Šilalė, 17 Šiluva, 9 Šlavantai, 40, 43
Telšiai, 1, 2, 23
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Places mentioned in the Chronicle of the Catholic Church in Lithuania No.58
