Bishop Antanas Baranauskas

The article by Professor Witold Jemielity, a Polish priest and theologian scientist, provides some interesting facts about bishop Antanas Baranauskas. Antanas Baranauskas was appointed Bishop of Seinai by Pope Leon XIII on August 2nd in 1897. The Ingres was in the Cathedral on December 28th in 1897. Baranauskas was then 62 years old. The Bishop of Seinai first began attending parishes. He had to inform the governor about his visit to other decanates 7 days in advance. Violating this procedure impended a huge penalty. Bishop A. Baranauskas devoted special attention to the catechization of children. Only a few of them attended school. Religion was taught twice a week. He ordered the priests to organize meetings with the little believers twice a week all year round. In the diocese this was a real innovation, since catechization meetings were only held on Sundays. After 1904, when the prohibition on the Lithuanian press in Latin letters was abolished, the Lithuanian national movement began its strong manifestation, and the Polish-Lithuanian conflict arose due to the additional service. In this respect, the Bishop remained neutral. In the decrees of his visits he highlighted the need to preserve old customs during the Sunday services and not to change anything without the consent of the diocesan authorities. More than that, in 1909 Poles relied on the Bishop A. Baranauskas conclusions in the event of disagreements over the language in Kalvarija. When he visited this parish, he indicated that both nations – the Poles and the Lithuanians – should keep their rights, so that no one would be deprived. Bishop A. Baranauskas died on November 26th in 1902 due to „brain attack“. The first attack came on him during the first lent, the ninth and the last was deadly. The embalmed body of the deceased was kept for four days in the chapel of the Bishop‘s palace, and then buried in the Cathedral