Šunskai Parish under the Influence of Different Factors Cover Image

Šunskų Parapijos Statusą Lémę Veiksniai
Šunskai Parish under the Influence of Different Factors

Author(s): Kęstutis Žemaitis
Subject(s): Social Philosophy, Philosophy of Religion, Pastoral Theology, Sociology of Religion, History of Religion
Published by: Visuomeninė organizacija »LOGOS«
Keywords: Church; parish; filial parish; civil power;

Summary/Abstract: It is not easy to describe the status of Šunskai religious community. In some archival documents it is simply called a parish and its priest is called a pastor, but in the case of Šunskai parish, found in the archives of Lomza diocese, where the documents go back to the events from 1798 to 1914, it is called a filial parish. When Šunskai religious community became a parish, already not a Vilkaviškis filial parish, is not clear. The bishop’s decree did not survive; it might have disappeared together with the 1914- 1946 parish archives of Šunskai. It is probable that when Lithuanian part of Seinai diocese was under the rule of bishop Antanas Karosas, Šunskai gained the status of a parish by his decree when, rearraging the deaneries of the diocese at the end of 1918 or the beginning of 1919, his reform changed Šunskai filial parish into an independent one. Šunskai parish gained an exeptional status for a short time because of the fact that in 1944 bishop Antanas Karosas together with his chancellor canon V. Vizgirda had moved and settled in Šunskai. The Bishop’s staying in Šunskai made the parish known all over the diocese. The priest came there to visit the Curia for talks, they got appointments and different instructions. Nevertheless, the residence of the bishop did not add a special status to the parish; the church did not turn into a pro-cathedral.

  • Issue Year: 2008
  • Issue No: 56
  • Page Range: 128-133
  • Page Count: 6
  • Language: Lithuanian