Produced by
Chris Sunstream
Tel: (01698) 746207

St.KAZIMIR SOCIETY. (SVENTASIS KAZIMIERAI)

Today we have the Rev. Fr. JosephMc Andrew,S.M.A. as our Lithuanian priest. He first assisted the late Mgr Youzas Gutauskas; in April 1969 when he arrived back in Scotland to take up a new appointment with the S.M.A. Fathers.  On most occasions Fr. Mc Andrew managed to be with the Mgr. Gutauskas at all his services. He succeeded the Mgr. in 1980 when he was forced to retire due to ill- health and old age.  At that time there were 680 Lithuanian in the parish. Since the death of Mgr. in April 1983 Fr. Mc Andrew carried on as Chaplain to the community at the request of Bishop A.Deksnys. Unfortunately he did not do it officially so Fr. Mc Andrew was working unofficially until Bishop P Baltakis took over and the Scottish Hierarchy made the appointment official.

Today the Lithuanian Community consists of about 10 Displaced Persons., who came here in 1948-1950. The rest are made up of second and third generation and a few fourth generations.

The St Kazimir Society (The Parish) has only a small percentage of these and only a small percentage are paid up members refer to
(Mr Allan A Poutney Treasurer - Secretary for details)

Holy Mass in the Lithuanian language is said on the first Sunday of each month in the parish of Blessed John Duns Scotus in the Hutchesontown area of Glasgow. Attendance varies between 40 and 60 mostly second-generation women with about 10 men. Of these about 6 are regularly from Bellshill and Mossend area. We celebrate St Kazimir’s Day in Glasgow and run a bus from Mossend giving us a total of 85 to 1OO on the day. On the second Sunday of each month this is repeated in the Holy Family Church Mossend. Attendance here is between 40-50. Lately only 30 -40 of them follow into the club for tea and a get together. On Easter Sunday we have the early morning Mass and Procession with an attendance of 102 plus.

Carfin Grotto, Scotland's National Shrine to the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Lithuanian community have a small piece of Scotland to call there own, That is a shrine to(Ausra Vartai) Our Lady Of The Dawn Gate

A large memorial Cross erected in memory of Mgr. Gutauskas and other deceased clergy who served the community in Scotland and finally a shrine to our Patron Saint Kazimir erected in thanksgiving for the Independence of Lithuania

We realise the Community is getting small. And we hope to carry on as long as we can as our Fr. Mc Andrew health is at times in question Our Community has done well in the last 100 plus years it has been here in Scotland For all the early immigrants who came here in 1868 -1903 have now gone to their reward. During the 100 plus years since the first Priest came from Lithuania we have kept the faith and passed it on to our children.

Today thousands of third and fourth generation have integrated and became the “NEW SCOTS”.

THE SCOTTISH LITHUANIAN COMMUNITY 2000.

Priests who served the Lithuanian immigrants as the need arose.

1885-1893. Fr. Landsberg and Fr. Hughes, both Jesuits and could speak Lithuanian came up once a month from Liverpool to attend to the spiritual need of the growing community.

1894 - Archbishop Eyre of Glasgow became aware that this was not satisfactory so arranged for a Lithuanian priest to come to the area to serve the now large community of Lithuanians in the GORBALS area. So Fr. Varnagris arrived and resided in ST JOHN, S PARISH in Portugal St Glasgow.

Priests then stayed only a few years at a time.

1902 - Fr. Vaitys:
1903 - Fr. Slamus:
1904 - Fr. Czuberktis:
1905 - Fr. Racewicz;
1910 -  Fr Vasilauskas:
Then a Fr. Norburt came and stayed until after the WAR and Lithuanian Independence in 1920, during the war he had an assistant Fr. Sveistiys.
1921 -Saw the arrival of Fr. Joseph Petrauskas who resided in HOLY FAMILY Presbytery until he died in 1934 and was buried in New Stevenston cemetery. He served the community well for 14 years and was loved by all.
Fr. Joseph Gutauskas who lived in Holy Family until 1942 when he moved to St Columbia a new parish built in Maryhill succeeded him in 1934. Remember the whole area was still under Glasgow Archdiocese.
In 1947 Glasgow became a Province having the two new dioceses under her as suffragen sees. Motherwell and Paisley.
So Fr. Gutauskas stayed in Glasgow but served all of Scotland wherever Lithuanians needed him. He was honoured by the Holy Father and made Monsignor he served the community well for 49 years.
In 1947 until 1951 Fr. Dr. Gruonis assisted him as many displaced persons arrived and many worked on the hydroelectric Scheme.
In 1970 he was assisted by Fr. Joseph MeAndrew. Fr. JOE (as he is widely known) took over in 1981 when the Monsignor had to go into a residential home in Cardonald Glasgow. He died there in APRIL 1993.

Fr. Joseph MeAndrew continues to serve the community.Today's Lithuanian community is small and an aged one at that. What are left is divided as a result they are committing voluntary suicide and destroying the CULTURE and TRADITIONS left to us by the early immigrants. Very few contribute to the upkeep of the Chaplain. So we have to ask ourselves" WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?"
Now that Lithuania is FREE again is there any need for us to keep going? Certainly we have been avalanched with visitors from the old country and they have all been made very welcome.

There should be no reason for the community to die for the lack of support. But the community has to DECIDE!

Will Fr. Joe now be the last?
Will the CLOSING MASS come about like the closing of ST FRANCIS in GLASGOW????

The Answer and Decision is in your hands(THE SCOTTISH LITRUAMAN COMMUNITY). And all should give serious thought and discuss it with your families and friends. 100 years - IS IT TO BE THE END?