Kanauninkas V. Vizgirda Dievo ir žmonių tarnyboje: sunkūs ir viltingi laikai
CANON V. VIZGIRDA IN THE SERVICE OF GOD AND PEOPLE: HARD AND HOPEFUL TIMES

Summary/Abstract: The first post-war decade of occupied Lithuania appeared to be the most cruel period to Lithuanian nation. Starting from the year 1944 with the return of Soviet occupation until the death of the Soviet dictator Stalin in 1953, intensive deportations to Siberia, arrests and assassinations of Lithuanian people followed. The Soviet regime did not tolerate any opposition. Very often people who had never resisted the Soviet regime became its victims. In a similar way, the coadjutor of Vilkaviškis diocese, canon Vincas Vizgirda was arrested and imprisoned, who governed the diocese after the death of bishop Antanas Karosas. V.Vizgirda got his high education in Western Europe; he gained PhD in law and philosophy, had a big experience of leadership, but sometimes he lacked responsibility and made others make decisions. But at the crucial moment, at the end of the war, he stayed in the diocese and continued his work in the diocese curia. With the responsibilities of a coadjutor of the diocese, canon Vizgirda took on a heavy load, bearing in mind that his responsibilities during the rule of Stalin might end in repressions. According to the archives, we see that Rev.Vizgirda tried to defend the Church rights as much as he could and to save the independence of the diocese, but his arrest shows that Soviet powers had different goals - to join all Lithuanian dioceses under the administration of the only coadjutor of Kaunas diocese. But it was not Rev. V.Vizgirda who could take this office, as he was not loyal to Soviet powers. The coadjutor of Vilkaviškis diocese became an obstacle in joining the dioceses, so he was put to prison without any guilt. The period, when Rev. Vizgirda administrated the diocese, was very hard. Especially it was hard for all the Catholic Church in Lithuania in 1948. First of all, The Soviet powers tried to estrange priest from parish administration, enabling special committees to do that. Bishops and priests were forced to recognize these committees. The coadjutor of Vilkaviškis diocese canon Vincentas Vizgirda also confronted with this reality. After lots of arrests of priests and lay people, closing of the churches in Soviet Lithuania, after two years of administrating the diocese, canon Vizgirda was also arrested on May 3, 1949 and sentenced for 10 years of exile. Returned from exile to Lithuania on November 13, 1956, he settled in Marijampolė and died on January 15, 1966. Vilkaviškis diocese, after the arrest of the coadjutor, was forcibly attached to Kaunas archdiocese by the Soviet powers. So, canon V. Vizgirda finishes not long, but dramatic period of Vilkaviškis diocese, and the coadjutor appeared to be a very strong personality, a man of the Church, not giving in to the invaders. Rev. Vizgirda remains as a very interesting personality in the history of Lithuanian Catholic Church, rather controversial, but outstanding, who played an important role in preserving the independence of the Church from atheist powers.

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