George Matulaitis Journal

31 1910 At the Theological Academy of St. Petersburg 1 the fall semester has begun, and Father George Matulaitis, who studied here some fifteen years ago and is now a professor, is keeping a Journal of his thoughts, inspira- tions, and resolutions. Last summer he made his religious vows to follow Christ more perfectly and is now determined to revive the Marians, a dying religious community that had only a single member left in his native Lithuania. With Rome’s permission, he has become a member of this Congregation and has revised and modernized its Constitutions. He is also novice master of a secret novitiate, 2 which is housed in the Academy with one novice and two candidates. Matulaitis’s main concern is to dis- cern the will of God for himself and his fledgling community. The key question is this: what are they to do to become worthy instruments in the service of Jesus Christ and of His Church in these troubled times? In his Journal he tries to answer it. October 14 My motto shall be: to seek God in all things, to do all things for the greater glory of God, to bring the Spirit of God into all things so that all may be filled with it. May God and His glory be the center of my whole life, the axis about which all my thoughts, feelings, desires, and actions continually turn. The glory of God and the salvation of souls. Can any other goal be greater or more sublime than this? Compared to this goal, everything else seems trivial. Of what value are even the best and noblest human ideals beside it? And so, is it not right and just for us to devote our whole lives and all that we have—our possessions, talents, even life itself to attain this goal? 1 After Czar Nicholas I closed the University of Vilnius in 1842, its Department of Theology was trans- ferred to St. Petersburg. In 1866 the Theological Academy of Warsaw was closed as well. Thus, the Academy in St. Petersburg became the only Catholic School of Theology allowed to function in the lands ruled by the Russian czars. Gifted seminarians were sent here to continue their studies. 2 In 1864, Catholic religious Communities were severely restricted by the Russian government and were not allowed to accept candidates.