The Marian Martyrs of Rosica

CHAPTER SEVEN EYEWITNESS ACCOUNT OF EDUCATOR OF RELIGIOUS YOUTH FATHER ANTHONY LOS, MIC, DRUJA I knew Fr. George Kaszyra in Druja from 1932 to1938. I was then a student in the King Stephen Batory Marian High School. At the same time, I was a postulant. During the early years of my stay in Druja, Fr. George Kaszyra was the teacher of reli- gion for the Marian seminarians in Vilnius. I met him only dur- ing semester breaks when he used to come to Druja. When I was in grades 6-8, he was the Master of Postulants and the teacher of religion for the lower grades of the high school. As the Master of Postulants, he emphasized spiritual devel- opment. Every day we had common prayers in the morning, and in the evening, meditation and Holy Mass. Our confessor was the pious Fr. Witalis Chamionek, to whom we confessed regularly. For me personally and I believe for others as well, confession was a very emotional experience: preparation, con- fession itself, and compliance with the confessor’s instructions. This was the result of the general atmosphere prevailing in the Druja monastery and among the postulants for which Fr. George was personally responsible. Our direct supervisor was a religious brother, a student in the highest grade, who attended school with us. The Father Director, as the teacher of religion in the high school, was in constant contact with the professors, and therefore he kept him- self informed about the progress of our studies. He treated us, his charges, casually and with much trust. He educated us by his example of religious and priestly life. We could see that he valued communal life. He was always present during spiritual exercises in the chapel, during breaks between classes, during work and meals. The Fathers and Brothers