Appearing since 1972 If possible, make copies! Read this and pass it on!
This issue is dedicated as an expression of solidarity with His Excellency, the exiled bishop, JULIJONAS STEPONAVIČIUS,
Apostolic Administrator of the Archdiocese of Vilnius.
CHRONICLE OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN LITHUANIA, No. 64 
In this issue:
1. Catholic Lithuania Thanks the Holy Father, John Paul II
3. Priests of the Archdiocese of Vilnius Greet Their Bishop-in-Exile, Julijonas Steponavičius
5. Repercussions of the Jubilee of Saint Casimir
11. The Church in the Soviet Republics
Lithuania October 7, 1984
CHRONICLE OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN LITHUANIA, No. 64
A Translation or the Complete Lithuanian Original LIETUVOS KATALIKŲ BAŽNYČIOS KRONIKA Nr. 64 Documenting the Struggle for Human Rights In Soviet-Occupied Lithuania Today
Translated by: Rev. Casimir Pugevičius
Translation Editor: Marian Skabeikis
Published by Lithuanian Catholic Religious Aid, Inc.
351 Highland Blvd. Brooklyn, NY 11207
©Lithuanian Catholic Religious Aid, 1985
ISSN 0197-0348
Franciscan Fathers Press .341 Highland Blvd. Brooklyn, NY 11207
COVER:
Vilnius Cathedral as it appears today. Three religious statues on the roof of the church were torn down by Soviets in 1952. The relics of St. Casimir were transferred to SS Peter and Paul in Vilnius in 1953. The cathedral was converted into an art gallery in 1956.
CHRONICLE OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN LITHUANIA No. 64
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, 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 Translator
INDEX OF PERSONS
Adomonis, Father Petras, 33 Aliulis, Vaclovas, 7 Ananyev, 47 Andriuškevičius, Antanas, 7 Anilionis, Petras, 9, 24 , 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 38, 46, 50, 54, 56 Antanaitis, Canon Bronius, 33 Aškelovičius, Josifas, 7
Bakučionis, Jurgis, 61 Balaišis, Father Antanas, 33 Balčiūnas, Father Jonas, 33, 51 Baltušis, Juozas, 7 Baltuška, Father Petras, 33 Bastys, Father Pranciškus, 51, 52 Baužys, Danielius, 7 Beinorius, Canon Jonas, 57 Bieiauskienė, Jadvyga, 67 Blaževičienė, Janina, 60 Blaževičius, Henrikas, 7 (Blaževičius), Jurgis, 60 Blažys, Romualdas, 7 Bogušis, Vytautas, 62 Borisevičius, Bishop Vincentas, 1 Boruta, Father Jonas, 8, 52 Brazdžionis, Bernardas, 19 Brilius, Father Kęstutis, 61 Bronickis, Vytautas, 7 Budrevičius, Juozas, 8 Budriūnas, Father Petras, 33, 40 Bulota, Father Alfonsas, 35
Caparas, A. 34 Charukevič, Janas, 7 Čeponis, Aldas, 7 Čeponis, Medardas, 8 Černiauskas, Ričardas, 7 Česnavičius, 62 Činskytė, Miss Stasė, 56
Dapkevičienė, Jūratė, 42 Daunoras, Petras, 7 Deksnys, Jonas, 8 Dilys, Antanas, 7 Dimitri, 60 Dulksnys, Monsignor Kazimieras, 15, 32, 33, 51 Dziekan, Antonis, 7
Filipcik, Antonas, 7
Gailius, Kazimieras, 7 Gajauskas, Balys, 67 Gajauskas, Konstantinas, 7 Gardauskas, 61 Garuckas, Father Karolis, 26, 27, 29, 30, 31 Gavėnaitė, Monika, 61 Grauslys, Father Vaclovas, 54 Grigaitienė, Mrs. J., 65 Grigaitis, Jonas, 8 (Grigas), Antanas, 58 Grigas, Robertas, 58 Grimalis, 45, 46 Griškevičius, Petras, 4, 61 Griušas, 46 Griušis, J. 45, 46, 48 Gudonis, Julita, 66 Gudonis, Rūta, 66 Gustaitis, Father Vytautas, 41 Gutauskas, Father Algis Kazimieras, 14 Gutauskas, Monsignor Klemensas, 33
Iešmantas, Gintautas, 64, 67 Insoda, Father Vytautas, 54, 56
Jakutis, Ignas, 7 Jancevičienė, Mrs. 40 Jankus, Pijus, 7 Janulis, Father Juoizas, 33 Jarmala, 60 Jaskelevičius, Vytautas, 7 Jaugelis, Father Virgilijus, 52, 53 Jaura, Bronislovas, 7 Jaura, Nikodemas, 8 Job, 63 Jokubauskas, 17 Jokubauskas, Father Antanas, 11, 12, 16, 17, 53 juodagalvis, Juozas, 7 Juodelis, Canon Jon as, 33 Juodelis, Father Petras, 33 Juozėnas, 35 Jurevičius, Mečislovas, 65 Jurkovlianec, Pavelas, 7
Kakarieka, Stanislovas, 7 Kalakauskas, 57 Kanišauskas, Alfredas, 8 Karaliūnas, 65 Kardelis, Jonas, 7 Karosienė, Mrs., 40 Kasperavičienė, Mrs. 34,54,55,56 Kaškevič, A., 8 Kauneckas, Father Jonas, 40, 41, 53, 56, 57, 61 Kazlauskas, Algis, 7 Keina, Father Algimantas, 8, 61 Kindurys, Kazimieras, 8 King Danil, 67 Kolka, 59 Končius, Aleksas, 8 Kondrusevič, Tadeušas, 8 Kovalev, Sergei, 67 Krikščiukaitis, Father Petras, 35, 53 Krikščiūnas, Bishop Romualdas, 2 Kuczynski, Father, S., 8 Kučinskas, Povi,as, 8 Kukta, Jonas, 8 Kulak, Kazimiežas, 8 Kulvietis, Edmundas, 8 Kuzmickas, Father Petras, 33 Kvietkovski, Juzefas, 8
Labukas-Matulaitis, Bishop Juozas, 2 Lauriūnas, Father Jonas, 53 Lauriūnas, Jonas, 8 Leita, A., 45, 47 Lenin, 43 Lidys, Father Stasys, 8, 54, 55
Makštutis, 53 Malachovski, Silvestras, 8 Markauskaitė. Rūta, 66 Markevičius, Stasys, 8 Martinaitis, 45, 46 Matulionis, Archbishop Teofilius 1, 2, 23 Matulionis, Jonas, 8, 9 Maželis, Bishop Petras, 2 Meilus, Kazys, 8 Meiženis, Faustas, 57 Melynauskaitė, Miss Marija, 56 Misiūnas, 35, 36, 37 Mockuvienė, Mrs. 56 Molis, Konstantinas, 8 Morkūnas, Jonas, 8 Moses, 24
Narečionis, Vytautas, 66 Nesterov, 67 Norkūnas, Juozas, 8 Novicki, Vladislavas, 8
Obremski, Juzefas, 8
Paberžis, Ignas, 8 Pakalka, Nikodemas, 8 Pakamanis, Father Algirdas, 49,50 Paliaukaitė, Genovaitė, 41 Paltarokas, Bishop Kazimieras 2, 19 Patiejūnas, Zenonas, 8 Paulionis, Edmundas, 8 Paceliūnas, Povilas, 64, 67 Petkus, Viktoras, 67 (Petrauskas), Juozas, 60 Petrauskas, Martynas, 60 Petravičius, Mykolas, 8 Petronis, Alfonsas, 8 Petryla, Gintautas, 57 Pilka, Canon Jonas, 35 Polka, Juozas, 66 Polkaitė, Elvira, 66 Polkienė, Ona, 66 Pomariov, Dr. , 64 Pope John Paul II, 3, 4, 41 Poškus, Juozas, 8 Povilonis, Bishop Liudvikas, 2, 15, 41, 54, 56 Pranevičius, Father Jonas, 33 Pranka, Juozas, 8 Preikšas, Father Juozas, 41 Puidokas, Juozas, 8 Puidokas, Stasys, 8 Pukėnas, Kazimieras, 8 Purlys, Petras, 8 Puzonas, Father Rokas, 35, 66 Pūkas, Vytautas, 8
Radomskis, Lukijanas, 8 Ramanauskas, Bishop Pranas, 1,2, 32 Rauda, CanonPetras, 31,32,50,51 Raudienė, Rūta, 42 Rebšys, Father Ričardas, 52 Rainys, Archbishop Mečislovas, 1,2 Rūkas, Vytautas, 8
Saint Bernard, 20 Saint Casimir, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 17, 18, 19, 21, 22, 32 Saint Paul, 10, 22 Saint Peter, 10 Sakavičius, Bronius, 8 Sasnauskas, Julius, 67 Saulius, Justinas, 8 Savickas, Bronius, 56 Savickas, Leonas, 8 Savickas, Marijonas, 8 Schwed, Marija, 66, 67 Semaška, Father Liudvikas, 38 Simonaitis, Antanas, 8 Siurplienė, Jadvyga, 42 Skuodis, Vytautas, 65, 67 Sladkevičius Bishop Vincentas, 2, 15 Stalin, 2 Steponavičius, Bishop Julijonas 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 15, 31, 32, 40, 50, 51 Stonys, Martynas, 8 Sužiedėlis, Simas, 19 Svarinskas, Father Alfonsas, 3, 4, 6, 9,18,19,26,27,31,34,35, 36, 41, 59, 61, 63, 67 Šeškevičius, Father Antanas, 45,46, 47, 48 (Šeškevičius), Kazys, 45 Šimkūnytė, Miss, 66 Slėnys, Jordanas, 8
Tamkevičius, Father Sigitas, 3, 4, 6, 9, 18, 19, 26, 31, 34, 35, 41, 53, 59, 61, 62, 67 Tamonis, Father Jonas, 61 Tamulaitis, Alfonsas, 8 Taraškevičius, Česlovas, 8 Tarvydas, Petras, 8 Terleckas, Antanas, 62, 64, 65, 67 (Terleckas) Pranas, 65 Terleckienė, Elena, 62, 63 Trusevičius (Trusevič), Father Adolfas, 8 Tunaitis, Juozas, 8 Tunaitis, Steponas, 8 Tvirbotas, 66 Ulbienė, Mrs. 41 Ulickas, Albertas, 8 Urbonas, Juozas, 8, 41
Vaičekonis, Father Pranciškus 8, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17 Vaičionis, Father Kazimieras, 8, 10, 12, 18 Vaičiulaitis, Father Romualdas, 34 Vaičius, Bishop Antanas, 2, 13, 15, 38, 56 Vaitonis, Jonas, 8 Valančiauskas, Domas, 8 Valančius, Bishop Motiejus, 22,23 Valatka, Antanas, 8 Valeikis, Kazimieras, 8 Valiukėnas, Stanislovas, 8 Valiukonis, Donatas, 8 Vanagaitė, Zita, 62, 63 Vasiliauskas, Kazimieras, 8 Velymanski, Vladislavas, 8 Verikas, Vaclovas Vertas, Juozas, 8 Volkov, 64 Volskis, Alloyzas, 25 Volungevičius, Jonas, 62 Zaman, Antonis, 8 Zdebskis, Father Juozas, 59, 60 Žemaitis, Father Juozas, 34, 54, 55, 56 Žemaitis, Mykolas, 8 Žemėnas, Kazimieras, 8 Žilinskas, Albertas, 62, 63 Žilys, Father Ferdinandas, 56 Žilys, Father Kazimieras, 61 Žukelis, Canon Petras, 33 Žulpa, Father Romualdas, 49
INDEX OF PLACES
Agailiai, 49 Alytus, 53 Antakalnis, 9
Badam, 58 Bubneshch, 67 Byelorussia, 8, 19, 61
Chimkani, 58 Ceikiniai, 26 Čiobiškis, 54, 66
Egypt, 24 Eigirdžiai, 56 England, 55 Estonia, 19 France, 9, 26
Gargždai, 42,43,44,45,46,47,48 German Democratic Republic, 43 Germany, 55 Grebenka, 67 Grinkiškis, 24
Helsinki, 29
Hungary, 43
Ireland, 54 Italy, 26
Joniškis, 31 Jurbarkas, 35, 51
Kaišiadorys, 1, 2, 15, 53, 66 Kalvarija, 8, 9 Kapsukas, 13, 41 Kaunas, 1, 5,11,15,31,35,39,41, 50, 56, 57, 61 Kazakh, 19, 58, 59 Kelmė, 39, 57 Kerbedžiai, 49 Kiaukliai, 65, 66 Klaipėda, 2,42, 44,45,46,47,48, 49 Kražiai, 42 Krekenava, 40 Krosna, 60 Kruopiai, 49 Kybartai, 52, 53 Kzyl-Orda, 58
Latvia, 14, 19, 40 Lazdijai, 58, 59, 60 Leipalingis, 58 Lilėnai, 50 Linkmenai, 53 Lvov, 66, 67
Magadan, 62, 64, 65 Makniunai, 53 Marijampolė, 13 Medzhibozh, 67 Meilaičiai, 49, 50 Mikoliškiai, 45, 46, 47 Mordovia, 65 Moscow, 38, 48
Nicaragua, 5
Paliepė, 52 Panevėžys, 2, 5, 15, 32, 33, 34, 40, 51, 66 Panų Kalnas, 57 Perm, 59 Plikiai, 48 Plungė, 37, 38 Pociūnėlė, 53 Pociūnėliai, 11 Poland, 43
Raguva, 66 Rambynas Hill, 57 Raseiniai, 39, 61 Reiniai, 57 Rome, 2 Ryliškės, 53
Šakaliai, 57 Siberia, 1, 2 Skaudvilė, 40, 61 Skirsnemunė, 51 Skole, 67 Sudervejas; 8 Šakiai, 34, 54 Šiauliai, 34, 35, 49, 57, 65 Šiluva, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 26, 38,
39, 40, 54 Širvintai, 35, 54, 65, 66 Šiupariai, 48 Šlavantai, 59
Tauragė, 40, 61 Telšiai, 1, 2, 15, 20, 32, 38, 49, 56, 57 Tryškiai, 49 Turgeliai, 10, 12 Tytuvėnai, 23, 38, 39
Ukmergė, 51, 52 Ukraine, 66 United States, 65 Utena, 31, 50
Vadžgiris, 35 Varduva, 37 Viduklė, 26, 35, 61 Viešvėnai, 36, 57 Vilkaviškis, 1, 2, 15, 41, 52 Vilnius, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 19, 21, 32, 33, 50, 54, 55, 57, 59, 61, 62 Vladimir, 2
Zhabe, 67 Žagarė, 14, 31 Žarėnai-Latveliai, 49, 50 Žemaičių Kalvarija, 20,21,26,37, 38, 51 Žibaliai, 65
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A PRAYER BY FR. SIGITAS TAMKEVICIUS Prisoner of Conscience for Christ
Pastor of Kybartai, Lithuania; Charter member of the Catholic Committee for Defense of Believers' Rights, sentenced 12/2/83 to 10 yrs. by the USSR for religious activities.
Lord, let me offer You my heart and my whole life
for those, for whom your beloved Son offered himself...
How will it turn out, or whether we shall hold out
should be the least of our concerns.
We shall truly hold out if we lean on Christ.
Capitulation will be possible only
If we become confused and depend on
ourselves.
"Whoever loses their life for my sake Will find it."
How special are these words!
By renunciation we do not lose anything.
A hostile world awaits us. Let us not fear it.
God is with us.
God is not asleep in the vessel of our life, as it seemed to the apostles.
It was not necessary to arouse Christ.
Let us be very brave and God will bring us through all storms.
LITHUANIAN CATHOLIC RELIGIOUS AID 351 Highland Blvd., Brooklyn NY 11207-9195
