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This issue is dedicated to Cardinal Vincentas Sladkevičius of the Catholic Church in Lithuania.
CHRONICLE OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN LITHUANIA, NO. 78 
In this issue:
1.We Thank Our Holy Father, John Paul II
2.We Congratulate Cardinal Vincentas Sladkevičius
Lithuania July 16,1988
CHRONICLE OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN LITHUANIA No. 78
A Translation of the Complete Lithuanian Original LIETUVOS KATALIKŲ BAŽNYČIOS KRONIKA Nr. 78 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 351 Highland Blvd. Brooklyn NY 11207
© Lithuanian Catholic Religious Aid, 1989 ISSN 0197-0348
COVER: Cardinal Vincentas Sladkevičius.
Printed at Franciscan Press, Brooklyn, New York, U.S.A.
CHRONICLE OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN LITHUANIA No. 78
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, 37 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 Liudas 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 Prela-ture of Klaipėda.
Juozas Preikšas was consecrated bishop in 1984 and named Auxiliary to Bishop Povilonis, whom he succeeded as Apostolic Administrator upon the latter's retirement in 1988. Bishop Vladas Michelevičius, consecrated in 1986, remains as auxiliary Apostolic Administrator. In 1983, Bishop Krikščiūnas resigned as Apostolic Administrator of Panevėžys, replaced by Msgr. Kazimieras Dulksnys as Vicar Capitular. In 1988, Bishop Sladkevičius was named Cardinal.
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
Adomaitis 29 Alekna, V. 36 Alminas, Father Adomas 14 Angarietis 34 Anilionis, Petras 9,32,33, 35, 36 Anužis, Father Stanislovas 14 Arlauskas 30 Arlauskas, Father Klemensas 13 Arnašius, Father Albinas 13 Atkočiūnas, Father Edmundas 14 Augustis, Father Antanas 14
Baciuška, Algis 22 Baciuškienė, Monika 22,29 Bagdonavičius, K. 21 Baronas, Father K. 39 Baselė, Miss 20 Bendoravičius, S. 36 Bernotas, Father Petras 14 Bimbyris 38 Bitvinskas, Msgr. Antanas 9 Bobola,S.J., Andrew 40 Borisevičius, Bishop Vincentas i Boruta, Father Jonas 14 Bradžius, Father Bronius 14 Bučelis, Father Jonas 13 Bučinskas, Father Jonas 14 Budautienė, Elena 20 Bukauskas, Father Juozapas 14 Bunkus, Father Antanas 14 Burneikis, Father Bronislovas 14
Cerularius 39 Cidizikas, Petras 23 Dambrauskas, Father Liudas 13
Danielius, Vincas 25, 26 Danilov 15 Degutis, Father Zenonas 14 Dotienė, Mrs. J. 18,20 Dulksnys, Msgr. Kazimieras ii, 39
Ežerinskas, Father Stanislovas 14
Gajauskas, Balys 27,28,43 Garjonis, Father Antanas 13 Gaščiūnas, Father Kazimieras 14 Gauronskas, Father Anupras 13 Gauronskis, Father Vincentas 13 Gediminas 33 Gedvilą, Father Jonas 13 Genutis, Father Algis 14 Godilauskas, Father Česlovas 13 Gorbachev, Mikhail 12,15,16, 17,20,21,23,38,40 Grabauskas, Father Juozapas 14 Gražulienė, Monika 22 Gražulis 21 Gražulis, Father Antanas 22,29 Gražulis, Father Kazimieras 22,29,30 Gražulis, Petras 16, 21, 22,25, 29,30,43 Gražulis, Povilas 22 Gražulytė, Albina 22,29 Gražulytė, Angelė 22 Gražulytė, Regina 22 Gražulytė, Valė 22 Grigas, Robertas 35, 36 Grigori 39 Gudanavičius, Father Gustavas 35 Gutmanas 38,39 Gylys, Father Antanas 13
Hitler 23,30
Iešmantas, Gintautas 30, 43 Ilinčius, Father Stanislovas 14 Ivanauskas, Father Antanas 14
Jadviršis, Father Konstantinas 14 Jagulaitienė, Marytė 22 Janauskas, Father Juozapas 14 Jasas, Father Petras 14 Jasulaitis, Juozas 22 Jazov 22 Jonauskas, Father Boleslovas 14 Jozėnas 36 Judas 42 Juodelis, K. 39 Jurevičius, Mečislovas 26 Jurgaitis, Father Antanas 13
Kauneckas, Father Jonas 14 Kharchev, Konstantin 8,10 Kincevičius, Archbishop Josephat 40 Klebonas, Father Vincentas 14 Knipavičius, Father Tadas 14 Koroblova 36 Kostelnik, Gavril 41 Krikščiukaitis, Father Petras-Kąstytis 35 Krikščiūnas, Bishop Romualdas ii, 10 Kuprelienė, Mrs. 20 Kusas, Father Jonas 14 Kuznetsov 8
Labukas-Matulaitis, Bishop Juozas ii Latakas, Father Bronislovas 13 Leita, A. 18 Letukas, Father Stanislovas 14 Liepa, R. 22 Linkevičius, Father Petras 13 Lisauskas, S. 21,22
Maironis 35 Matulaitis, Blessed Jurgis 3, 5, 6,10,11 Matulionis, Bishop Teofilius i, ii Maželis, Bishop Petras ii Maželis, Father Juozapas 14 Mažrimaitė, Gražina 18,19, 20 Merliūnas, Father Petras 14 Michaliuk, Orest 40,41 Michelevičius, Bishop Vladas ii, 10 Miklovas, Father Juozapas 14 Mikutavičius, Father Vytautas 14 Miškinis, Father Julijonas 14 Molotiv 23 Moses 38 Motekaitis, Father Vytautas 14
Našlėnas, Father Petras 14
Orantas, Father Aloyzas 14
Pačinskas, Father Juozapas 14 Pakamanis, Father Algirdas 14 Palšis, Father Petras 13 Paltarokas, Bishop Kazimieras i Paulauskas, Father Jonas 13 Petkevičius 26 Petkus, Viktoras 43 Petrauskas, Father Vytautas 14 Petrauskis, Father Jonas 14 Petronaitis, Father Antanas 14 Piman 41 Pocevičius 23,24,25 Pope John Paul II1,3, 5,10 Poškus, Bronius 23, 24, 25 Povilonis, Archbishop Liudas ii, 9,10 Pranskaitis, Father Albertas 14 Preikšas, Bishop Juozas ii, 9, 10 Prialgauskas, Father Kazimieras 14 Pridotkas, Father Alfonsas 14 Pudžėmys, Father Adolfas 13 Puidokas, Father Klemensas 14 Pukenis, Father R. 39 Puzaras, Father Petras 14 Puzonas, Father Rokas 35, 36
Racevičius, Father Bronius 14 Radzevičius 27 Rakunkov 38 Ramanauskas, Bishop Pranas i, ii Reinys, Archbishop Mečislovas i Riaukaitė, Janina 20 Ribbentrop 23 Rimkus, Father Kazimieras 14 Rimša 20 Rudzinskas, Father Jonas 14 Rutalė, Father Juozapas 14
Sadauskas, Father Vytautas 13 Sadūnaitė, Nijolė 24,37,38 Saint Casimir 5 Saint Luke 3 Saint Paul 3,5,6,8 Saint Peter 40 Sakalauskas, Algis 37 Šarkauskas, Father Liudvikas 14 Serapinas, Father Liudas 14 Šeškevičius, Father Antanas 13,18 Šimkus, Father Antanas 13 Šimkus, Father Zigmas 14 Sirtautas, Father Henrikas 14 Širvaitis, Father Juozapas 14 Šiurys, Father Juozas 13 Sladkevičius, Cardinal Vincentas ii, 1,2,3,8,9,10,11 Slankauskas, Benjaminas 25,26 Šlevas, Father Vladas 14 Stalin ii, 7,19,22,23,35 Steponavičius, Bishop Julijonas ii, 25 Stokorienė, Aldona 18,19,20 Striukis, Father Antanas 13 Stukas, Father Petras 14 Šukys, Father Juozas 14 Šulcas, Father Henrikas 14 Svarinskas, Father Alfonsas 10, 25, 27,32,43
Talaišis, Father Bernardas 14 Tamkevičius, Father Sigitas 10, 25,26, 32,43 Tamošauskas, Father Julius 14 Teresiūtė, Regina 26 Tubienė, Kazimiera 25
Vėlioniškis, Father Konstantinas 14 Vaičekonis, Father Pranciškus 9 Vaičius, Bishop Antanas ii, 9, 10 Valaitis, Father Feliksas 14 Velavičius, Father Vincas 13 Venckus, Father Petras 14 Venckus, Father Pranas 13 Venskunienė, Ona 22 Veselis, Father Leonas 14 Vičiulis, Father Jonas 14 Visockas 36 Vladimir 39 Volskis, Father Aloyzas 14 Vytautas 15
Žeberskis, Father Ignacas 13 Žilys, Father Ferdinandas 14 Žukas, Father Kazimieras 14 Žulpa, Father Romualdas 14 Žvirzdinas, Father Vytautas 14 Zachaeus 3,5 Zdebskis, Father Juozas 37
INDEX OF PLACES
Afghanistan 16 Alksnėnai 15,17 Alytus 21,22,36,37 Alytus 137 Alytus II 35, 36,37 Anykščiai 16
Barklaičiai 39 Barklainiai 39 Batakiai 12 Brest 40,41 Bubnisha 40 Bubnishcha 42 Byelorussia 37
Cana 6 Constantinople 39
Dolina 42
Eišiškės 16
Galilee 6 Gargždai 18,19 Gaurė 12 Girdžiai 15,16 Gižai 15,17
Helsinki 38
Ireland 6 Italy 7 Ivan Frankovsk 42 Jonava 15
Joniškis 35 Jurbarkas 16
Kėdainiai 16 Kaišiadorys ii, 10 Kapčiamiestis 15,17,18 Kapsukas 16,18,21,22 Kaunas i, ii, 9,15,22, 25,32, 33,34, 35 Kavarskas 16,17 Kemerov 27 Kęstaičiai 40 Kiev 39 Kievan Rusia 39 Klaipėda ii, 12,18,19 Kolyma 37 Kražiai 40 Kretinga 15, 23, 24,25 Krinčinas 17 Krivoshain 27 Kulautuva 15,17,18 Kupiškis 16 Kybartai 9,15,17
Latvia 3 Laugaliai 18,19 Lazdijai 35, 37 Leipalingis 15,17,18, 35 Lukiškiai 29 Lukšiai 15,17,18 Lvov 40, 41, 42
Maiden Hill 17 Mankūnas 21, 22 Mariinsk 27 Marijampolė 3,9,10,11 Miroslav 22 Miroslavas 15 Mordovia 28 Moscow 8,9,10,15,33,37,39
Naujamiestis 17 Nemunėlio Radviliškis 3 Nemunas 34 Novosibirsk 27
Omsk 27
Paberžė 3 Pakruojis 16 Panevėžys i, ii, 15,16,17, 39 Pasruojas 17 Pasvalys 16 Pilviškiai 18 Pirkis 27 Poland 10 Polock 40 Pravieniškiai 29, 30 Pumpėnai 17
Ramygala 39 Rokiškis 16 Rome ii, 3, 7,8, 9,10,39, 40, 41,42 Rozalimas 16 Rudamina 35, 37 Ryliškės 12
Šakiai 15, 16,18 Šančiai 15 Sasnava 15,17,18 Scotland 6 Seredžius 15,17,18 Šiauliai 16,22, 25,38 Siberia i, 24,27, 28, 34,35,38 Staro Sainokov 26,27 Sverdlovsk 27
Telšiai i, ii, 9,12,13,17 Tomsk 27 Transcarpathia 40 Tuimen 27
Ukmergė 9,16 Ukraine 40 Uliūnai 39 Urals 28 Utena 16
Valkininkai 15,16,18 Vatican 9 Veliuona 15,18 Veliuonas 17 Velykiai 39 Vilkaviškis i, ii, 32 Vilnius i, 7,9,10,15, 21, 23, 24, 25,29, 32, 33, 34, 36, 37 Višakio Rūda 15,17,18 Vladimir i
Žagarė 35 Žemaičių Kalvarija 15,17,18
Nijole Sadunaite
A RADIANCE IN THE GULAG
This is the heroic story of one woman's witness to the Catholic Faith in the face of an atheistic state. Harassed by the KGB, imprisoned, exiled to Siberia, released, and harassed again: Nijole Sadunaite continues to defend the Church in Lithuania. This is her own story, smuggled out in January 1987. Photos, 148pp (cloth $9.95; paper $5.95).
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