George Matulaitis Journal

Father Górski had been Dean of Asmena. 1 The priests had complained because of his difficult character and about the way he behaved toward them. They were convinced that he was working with the Polish government officials and the police. He had informed against his fellow priests. I received one, then another request from the priests that he be removed from his position as dean. I tried to calm them down and reconcile them with Górski, but nothing came of it. When Górski fled to Warsaw upon the arrival of the Bolsheviks, I appointed Father Mykolas Abaravi ius, formerly of the little church of the Bonifratres 2 in Vilnius, as pastor and dean in Górski’s stead. To me he seemed suitable for that position. During the Russian regime he had been pastor and dean at Asmena until he was expelled by the Russian government for organizing a religious procession. After that, he taught religion in the high schools in Vilnius, since he was a graduate of the Theological Academy. Although he considered himself a Lithuanian, he did not use Lithuanian when he spoke to me, nor did such things interest him. The priests of the Asmena deanery received his appointment quite favorably. When Górski returned, he was determined to resume his duties as Dean of Asmena. Finally, I decided that, for the time being, Górski would just be pastor of Asmena, while I transferred Dean Abaravi ius to the neighboring town of Ziupronys 3 . Górski was not satisfied. He appealed to the more prominent Polish officers to intercede for him and even to influence me through General ÷ eligowski so I would reappoint him as dean. He argued that Polish interests in the Asmena district depended on him alone and that I had intentionally appointed a Lithuanian to undermine those interests. He encouraged the people to send petitions to General ÷ eligowski and to me. There were more than fifty signatures on these petitions, but whether they were genuine and had any real value is 296 1 Oszmiana in Belorussia: a town in western Belorussia, about 50 km southeast of Vilnius. Under the czarist regime it belonged to the Vilnius province, and in 1919 was still part of the Diocese of Vilnius. At this time, the town was occupied by the Polish army. It was contested by the Poles, Belorussians, Lithuanians, and Bolsheviks because of its strategic location: through it passed the most wide- ly used road linking east and west. During WW I, the area had been heavily damaged; many villages and farm- steads destroyed. 2 The Bonifratres were the Hospitalers of St. John of God. Their main monastery and hospital had been in Vilnius, but the order was closed down by the Russian government in 1843. Bishop Matulaitis restored it in 1924. 3 ÷ uprany in Belorussia: a small town 10 km east of Oszmiana (Asmena). It was the site of an old Lithuanian estate, but the area was now populated mostly by Belorussians.