Blessed Teofilius Matulionis

Biography

Blessed Teofilius Matulionis, also known as Blessed Teofilius Matulionis, was born on 22 June 1873 in Alantos, Moletai, Russian Empire (in modern Lithuania). He was the middle of three brothers born to the peasant family of Jurgis Matulionis and Ona Juocepyte. Unfortunately, his mother passed away, and his father eventually remarried, having seven more children.

Teofilius began his academic journey at Antaliepte, Lithuania, where he studied from 1887 to 1892. He then moved to Dvinsk (modern Daugpilis, Latvia) until 1900. After that, he pursued his studies at the seminary in Saint Petersburg, Russia, where he could speak Russian, Latvian, and Polish fluently. However, Teofilius experienced a moment of doubt regarding his vocation, leading him to temporarily leave the seminary. During this time, he supported himself through teaching but eventually returned to seminary and was ordained a priest of the Diocese of Mohilev, Belarus on 17 March 1900.

After his ordination, Father Teofilius briefly assisted in several parishes in Latvia. On 26 June 1900, he was assigned to Latgalia, Latvia. From 1910 to 1929, he served at the parish of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Saint Petersburg—a region where Catholics were a minority and endured heightened persecution after the Communist takeover of Russia. In 1922, all churches were confiscated by the Bolsheviks, worsening the plight of Catholics.

Father Teofilius faced imprisonment from 1923 to 1925 for refusing to cooperate with the Soviets in the persecution of Archbishop Jan Cieplak. Despite the challenges, he remained steadfast in his faith and commitment to his calling. Pope Pius XI recognized his dedication and appointed him Auxiliary Bishop of Mohilev, Belarus, and Titular Bishop of Matrega on 8 December 1928. This consecration occurred secretly on 7 February 1929.

Tragically, on 24 November 1929, Bishop Teofilius Matulionis was arrested and sentenced to hard labor in a prison camp located north of the Arctic Circle. His crime was having contact with individuals outside the Soviet Union. Despite the harsh conditions, he continued to nurture his faith and would even celebrate Mass in secret during the night while in prison. Whenever possible, he would distribute the Eucharist to other fellow prisoners.

The severe hardships in the prison took a toll on Bishop Matulionis's health. Consequently, he was transferred to solitary confinement in a prison within Saint Petersburg. Eventually, as part of a prisoner exchange, he was handed over to the Lithuanian authorities. Hoping to diminish his influence, the Communists exiled him to Seduva, Lithuania, where he remained for the rest of his life.

Bishop Teofilius Matulionis did not allow the constraints of his exile to hinder his spiritual mission. On 9 January 1943, Pope Pius XII appointed him Archbishop of Kaišiadorys, Lithuania, to guide the faithful through the tumultuous years of Soviet oppression. However, his active practice of his vocation led to further persecution, resulting in a ten-year imprisonment by Soviet authorities starting in 1946.

Released in 1956, Archbishop Matulionis was placed under house arrest in Birštonas, Lithuania, to restrict his ability to work as a bishop. Despite the restrictions, he remained resolute in his principles. On 25 December 1957, he consecrated Vincentas Sladkevicius as a bishop without the consent of the Communists. The authorities derided him for conducting the consecration in his kitchen, but Bishop Matulionis shamed them, highlighting the dire circumstances that limited him to such an environment.

For his refusal to comply with the Communist regime, Archbishop Teofilius Matulionis was exiled to Seduva, Lithuania, for the remainder of his life. Tragically, during a routine search of his apartment by Soviet authorities, he was given an injection by a KGB nurse and dropped dead on 20 August 1962 in Seduva, Radviliškis, Lithuania. In 1999, his body was exhumed and autopsied, revealing evidence of poisoning. His final resting place is in the crypt of the Transfiguration Cathedral of Kaišiadorys, Kaisiadorys, Kaišiadorys District Municipality, Kaunas, Lithuania.

Blessed Teofilius Matulionis was venerated on 1 December 2016 by Pope Francis when he declared his martyrdom. A year later, on 25 June 2017, Pope Francis beatified him, marking the first beatification celebrated in Lithuania and the first of a Lithuanian martyr persecuted by Communists. The beatification ceremony took place at the square of the Cathedral Basilica of Šventasis Stanislovas ir Šventasis Vladislovas in Vilnius and was presided over by Cardinal Angelo Amato.