Bishop Sipovich new file

17 Bishop Zygmunt Lozinski in Pinsk where, among other things, he taught Comparative Theology in the local seminary and was in charge of the Byzantine rite parishes in the diocese. He was also responsible for the organisation of the first three Pinsk Union Conferences (in 1930, 31 and 32). When in 1932 after the death of Lozinski the atmosphere changed, there was no longer any place for Kulak in Pinsk. Disillusioned, he returned to his Vilna diocese. The Belarusian Marian clerics often enjoyed his warm hospitality, while their Superior was asked to help in parish work. Among the lay guests who visited the Marian College in its first year there were Jan Shutovich, editor of the quarterly Kalossie dedicated to literature and problems of Belarusian culture, and Dr Joseph Maletski, a former pupil of Druia high school. The most interesting visitor was Anton Lutskievich, politician, literary critic and custodian of the Belarusian museum named in honour of his brother Ivan. In 1906 brothers Lutskievich had started the famous Belarusian paper Nasha Niva which gave its name to the whole period of Belarusian national and cultural revival. Anton also translated the New Testament into Belarusian and presented an autographed copy of it to Marian clerics when he visited them on 29 May 1936. On 15 May 1936 the clerics paid a visit to Father Uladyslau Talochka, arguably the most informed priest in Vilna, who corresponded with many well known persons in Europe, especially those engaged in the field of Christian Unity. A talented journalist, he wrote in Belarusian periodicals, but mainly in the Polish press on religious and Belarusian subjects. He took the clerics to visit the church of the Basilian sisters and the Belarusian Museum, where they were greeted by Anton Lutskievich who showed them round. They also made the acquaintance of another literary critic, Uladzimier Samoila. There were, however, limits to the external contacts which the superior, Father Kashyra, would allow. He was reluctant to give permission for clerics to attend any Belarusian public religious or cultural events; and even refused Father Stankievich’s invitation on 6 June 1936 to take part in the consecration of the monument on the grave of the Belarusian priest Constantine Stepovich, better known as the poet Kazimier Svaiak, on the tenth anniversary of his death. But things were about to change. On 19 June 1936 there was a double celebration in the Marian college in Vilna: the anniversary of the priestly ordination of Father Kashyra and the return from Harbin of Father Joseph Hermanovich. The chronicle notes that on this occasion Ceslaus Sipovich made an impromptu speech of welcome. Father Hermanovich had gone to Harbin in obedience to the orders of his superiors, or, more exactly, Buchys. Obviously he would have preferred to remain in Belarus. Soon after his arrival there he fell ill. It seems to have been a nervous disease, coming from the feeling, perhaps unconscious, that he was not where he should be. When Tsikota became Superior General in 1933, he could have ordered him back, but, despite Fr Hermanovich’s continuous pleas, kept postponing his decision. Eventually, on 15 April 1935 Father Stankievich wrote an indignant letter to Tsikota, telling him to stop the nightmare of wasting Hermanovich’s talent and health. Whether this letter helped, no one can say. However, towards the end of 1935 Hermanovich left Harbin and China for home, travelling via Rome, where he stayed a few months. In Vilna Hermanovich was appointed Superior of the Marian college in place of Kashyra. Bishop Sipovich remembered the two years that followed as one of the happiest periods in his life.