User:Fruimini/sandbox.Kazimieras Vasiliauskas (monsignor)

Kazimieras Vasiliauskas (April 9, 1922 – October 14, 2001) was a Lithuanian Catholic priest, monsignor, participant in the resistance against Soviet occupation, defender of religious and civil rights, and advocate for tolerance and humanism.

Early life

Kazimieras Vasiliauskas was born on April 9, 1922, in Kateliškiai (near Vabalninkas), Biržai County, to farmers Juozas (1874–1961) and Valerija (née Baniulytė) (1897–1984). He attended Čypėnai Elementary School and later Biržai Gymnasium, where he became an active member and leader of Ateitininkai, a Catholic youth organization, and participated in a literary circle.

After graduating in 1941, he entered the Kaunas Priest Seminary and, in 1942, transferred to the Vilnius Seminary. He was ordained a priest on June 16, 1946, by Archbishop Mečislovas Reinys of Vilnius.

Early ministry

In 1946, Vasiliauskas began his clerical duties, serving as a vicar in Kalesninkai, Švenčionys, and the parish of St. Teresa and the Chapel of the Gate of Dawn in Vilnius. During this time, he was involved with the secret self-education society College of the Virgin Mary of the Gate of Dawn. In 1948, he was reassigned as the administrator of the Rimšė parish in the Zarasai district.

Arrest and exile

In 1949, Vasiliauskas was arrested by Soviet authorities, accused of anti-Soviet activities, and sentenced to 10 years of forced labor in Siberia. He worked in coal mines in Inta and Vorkuta, Komi ASSR, where he secretly celebrated Mass, heard confessions, and provided spiritual support to fellow prisoners. After his release in 1958, he was prohibited from returning to Lithuania and spent nearly a decade in Latvia, working as a loader, electrician, and accountant.

His parents were also deported to Siberia in 1949 for being classified as wealthy farmers. Their property was confiscated, but they were released in 1956 and returned to Lithuania.

Return to Lithuania

In 1968, Vasiliauskas was permitted to return to Lithuania where he served as the parish priest in Varėna until 1975. He was then appointed vicar adjutor at the Church of St. Raphael the Archangel in Vilnius. He signed multiple protests and appeals to Soviet authorities, defending the rights of the Church and opposing restrictions on religious freedom. Notable actions included:

• Supporting bishops Vincentas Sladkevičius and Julijonas Steponavičius (1971–1972).
• Advocating for the publication of religious literature.
• Protesting limitations on believers' rights and government interference in Church affairs (1977).
• Joining protests against clergy persecution, including the arrests of priests Alfonsas Svarinskas and Sigitas Tamkevičius (1983).

He also maintained ties with the anti-Soviet resistance and the Lithuanian Helsinki Group. During the 1975 trial of dissident Sergei Kovalyov in Vilnius, human rights activist Andrei Sakharov stayed at Vasiliauskas’ home.

Later Years

In 1989, following Lithuania's independence movement, Vasiliauskas became the first parish priest of the restored Vilnius Cathedral. That same year, he was named a monsignor by Pope John Paul II. From 1993 to 1995, he served as rector of the Vilnius Seminary. In 1997, he retired from his role at Vilnius Cathedral and became an emeritus priest at St. Nicholas Church in Vilnius. Despite health issues, he remained active in public life, noted for his kindness and inclusivity.

Legacy

Kazimieras Vasiliauskas received several honors during his lifetime:

• Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas Officer’s Cross (1994)
• Santarvė Foundation Award (1995)
• Honorary Citizen of Vilnius (2000)
• Lithuanian Independence Medal (2000)

His contributions are commemorated through monuments in Vilnius and Vabalninkas, books, and documentaries.

In 2009, his name was inscribed on Tadas Gutauskas' sculpture Tree of Unity as one of Lithuania's 100 most prominent personalities. A postage stamp was issued in 2022 to mark the centenary of his birth.

Kazimieras Vasiliauskas passed away on October 14, 2001, in Vilnius and was buried at Antakalnis Cemetery, in the Hill of Artists. His gravestone features the words of his favorite poet, Jurgis Baltrušaitis: "There is light even in darkness."

Poet Justinas Marcinkevičius described him as "a heaven-sent figure for our weary nation, quelling vengeance, anger, and hatred with his spirit, and uniting all for the creation of humanity and the Homeland."