Bishop Sipovich new file

19 3. Pogrom In the meantime life in Druia was fairly quiet. With the use of Belarusian limited to private conversation between the four remaining Belarusian priests and their morning and evening prayers, there seemed nothing left for the Polish authorities to complain about. But even this was too much for some, and in May 1937 the Father Superior (Lysik) suggested, without success this time, that the Belarusian prayers should be replaced by Polish or Latin. On the whole, however, with the appointment of the Polish superior the relations with the local authorities seemed to have improved. Until Christmas 1937 that is. One of the priests, Joseph Dashuta, wrote to Tsikota on 24 January 1938: "Here in Druia the relations have improved lately, because we have a good captain of the Frontier guards. The police chief is also a reasonable man, but after the feasts (i.e. Christmas A.N .), when the clerics stayed here, we hear voices that Father Hermanovich is rearing enemies for Poland... Some clerics openly spoke to certain (Polish) patriots about their wish to see Belarus independent..." This news disturbed Father Tsikota, and in February he wrote to Dashuta: "The news about the clerics made me very worried... Please write, or better tell Father Hermanovich and ask him in my name to think seriously about what he is doing and not to endanger our work". Tsikota was not the only person displeased with Hermanovich. The Polish authorities were also worried, although for different reasons. His infrequent short visits to Druia made the local police nervous. In Vilna he was under constant secret surveillance, which became more severe as the time went on. An observant man, Father Hermanovich had no difficulty spotting his "tail". He played all sorts of tricks on him. For example, as he himself was telling later, he would take a walk in the rain, protected with an umbrella and galoshes, while the agent caught unawares would be soaked to the skin. On one occasion he went straight to the police station and complained that someone was stalking him... But on the whole it was an unpleasant situation. On 12 June 1938 Father Hermanovich and his seminary friend, Father Victor Shutovich, celebrated the 25th anniversary of their priesthood. This coincided with the annual Belarusian pilgrimage to the "Calvary", an ex-Dominican church outside Vilna with several chapels representing the Passion of Christ. It was a great success. Later Father Victor Shutovich wrote to his friend, Father Chrysostom Tarasevitch at Lisle near Chicago: "Under other circumstances, on return from the "Calvary", the three of us (i.e. Adam Stankievich, Joseph Hermanovich and Victor Shutovich A.N .) should have stopped somewhere together to talk, to laugh. But that was not to be. At every door of Father Josephs monastery (i.e. the Marian college A.N. ) there was a secret agent, making notes of when and where he goes, when and from where he comes back". By this time the fate of Druia had already been sealed. Unable to accuse the Marian fathers of breaking any law, the administrativce authorities made use of new regulations, which allowed them to deport from the so-called "frontier zone" any person deemed dangerous to the security of the state. Both Druia and Vilna were in the frontier zone. So by the order of the Governor (wojewoda) of Vilna province, Ludwik Bocianski, that Belarusian Marian Fathers were forced to leave Druia by 10 June. They did so, by the decision of the Superior, quietly on 9 June, going only a few miles away, where the frontier zone ended. They were able to return quietly on 14 June to celebrate the feast of Corpus Christi on 16 June. On the same day the Polish nationalists organised a protest meeting against them. Among those who attended it was Father Borodzicz who had done so much harm in 1929. The final act took place