Archbishop Mečislovas Reinys as an educator and a nurturer of morality

Lietuvos kankinys, arkivyskupas Mečislovas Reinys - Dievo Tarnas - jam užvesta Beatifikacijos byla, kurios eigą greitina žinių apie jį skleidimas, maldos ir laukiami, jo užtarimu, stebuklai. Plačiašakėje arkivyskupo veikloje ryškią vietą užima pedagoginė sritis. Itin daug dėmesio M. Reinys skyrė jaunimo, kaip mūsų tautos gražios ateities, doros ir dvasingumo ugdymui. Tai straipsniai ir tiesioginis darbas su įvairiomis katalikiškomis jaunimo organizacijomis.Venerable Archbishop Mečislovas Reinys (5/2/1884 – 8/11/1953) is in the process of Beatification. It is our efforts and prayers that will determine the outcome of this process: how soon we will see Blessed Mečislovas Reinys alongside with Saint Casimere and Blessed Archbishop Jurgis Matulaitis. M. Reinys’ life was illustrious and full of self – sacrifice, leading him upwards from a vicar to an archbishop, from pedagogical work at a gymnasium to a professor at the University of Lithuania (later – Vytautas Magnus University), from a professor to the founder of the Lithuanian Catholic University and its rector – chancellor, from popular science articles so necessary at that time to substantial works and his study “The Problem of Racialism”, from a scholar to an academician of the Lithuanian Catholic Academy of Science, from a distinguished public activist to the Minister of Foreign Affairs. M. Reinys worked indefatigably for God, Motherland and people, loving and remaining staunch to his ideals when in 1919 he was imprisoned in Lukiškės, Daugpilis and Smolenskas and, 28 years later, (i.e. in June 12, 1947) was arrested by the KGB. After over a half year of imprisonment in the dungeons of Vilnius he was sentenced to eight years and sent to the prison of Vladimir where he perished in November 8, 1953. His consideration for the youth and educational issues in his many – branched activities is noteworthy. Archbishop M. Reinys identified the future of Lithuania and its prosperity with the spirituality of the moral youth, the profundity of the Faith, education, culture, dutifulness, honesty, work and responsibility. For him any field of activity, educational in particular, was closely connected with spirituality and morality, but most of all it was inseparable from the Faith. Therefore it is by no chance that he took activists of the Ateitininkai and Pavasarininkai movements under his patronage and was considerate to the needs of Salesians: participated in events organized by them, celebrated holy Masses, preached sermons, consecrated flags and wrote articles. We have discerned two interconnected trends in M. Reinys’ educational works: theoretical (articles and studies) and practical (teaching at schools, theological seminaries, various courses and the University). M. Reinys’ written heritage on the subjects concerning morality and spirituality can be attributed to original works his articles