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Happy Father’s Day! The nation’s first Father’s Day was celebrated on June 19, 1910, in the state of Washington. However, it was not until 1972–58 years after President Woodrow Wilson made Mother’s Day official–which the day honoring fathers became a nationwide holiday in the United States.

Father’s Day 2019 occurs on Sunday, June 16. The campaign to celebrate the nation’s fathers did not meet with the same enthusiasm–perhaps because, as one florist explained, “fathers haven’t the same sentimental appeal that mothers have.” On July 5, 1908, a West Virginia church sponsored the nation’s first event explicitly in honor of fathers, a Sunday sermon in memory of the 362 men who had died in the previous December’s explosions at the Fairmont Coal Company mines in Monongah, but it was a one-time commemoration and not an annual holiday. The next year, a Spokane, Washington, woman tried to establish an official equivalent to Mother’s Day for male parents. She went to local churches, the YMCA, shopkeepers and government officials to drum up support for her idea, and she was successful: Washington State celebrated the nation’s first statewide Father’s Day on June 19, 1910. Slowly, the holiday spread. In 1916, President Wilson honored the day by using telegraph signals to unfurl a flag in Spokane when he pressed a button in Washington, D.C. In 1924, President Calvin Coolidge urged state governments to observe Father’s Day. In other countries–especially in Europe and Latin America–fathers are honored on St. Joseph’s Day, a traditional Catholic holiday that falls on March 19.

Father’s Day: Controversy and Commercialism. Many men, however, continued to disdain the day. As one historian writes, they “scoffed at the holiday’s sentimental attempts to domesticate manliness with flowers and gift-giving, or they derided the proliferation of such holidays as a commercial gimmick to sell more products–often paid for by the father himself.” During the 1920s and 1930s, a movement arose to scrap Mother’s Day and Father’s Day altogether in favor of a single holiday, Parents’ Day. Every year on Mother’s Day, pro-Parents’ Day groups rallied in New York City’s Central Park–a public reminder, said Parents’ Day activist and radio performer Robert Spere, “that both parents should be loved and respected together.” The Great Depression derailed this effort to combine and de-commercialize the holidays. Struggling retailers and advertisers redoubled their efforts to make Father’s Day a “second Christmas” for men, promoting goods such as neckties, hats, socks, pipes and tobacco, golf clubs and other sporting goods, and greeting cards. When World War II began, advertisers began to argue that celebrating Father’s Day was a way to honor American troops and support the war effort. By the end of the war, Father’s Day may not have been a federal holiday, but it was a national institution. In 1972, in the middle of a hard-fought presidential re-election campaign, Richard Nixon signed a proclamation making Father’s Day a federal holiday at last. Today, economists estimate that Americans spend more than $1 billion each year on Father’s Day gifts.

KNIGHTS of LITHUANIA #96 Father’s Day 1 C96 Officers 2 Birželis 2 Upcoming Calendar 3 Letters to the Editor & more 4 John Mankus 5 Bishop Baltakis 5 Daughters of Mary 6 Pontifical Lithuanian College 7 St. John’s Day 10 Lithuanian gods 11 Lithuanian mythology 14 Aušros Vartų 17 Mikalauskas Anniversary 18 Mother’s Day 19 Lietuva Day of Mourning 21 Kossuth Colony 22 K of L Scholarship 26 District Fall Pilgrimage news 28 Fred P. Kreuzer 29 Condolence Report 29 Children Page: Family Customs 30 Rūta 32 Ingrida Bublys 34 Tornados in Dayton 35 Support IRON WOLF 38 K of L Membership Application 39

Join us for mass every Sunday at 1030am Holy Cross Lithuanian RC Church 1924 Leo Street * Old North Dayton Parish Administration Office = 937.233.1503.

Pastoral Region XII Father Tony Cutcher, Pastor Father Joe Kindel, in residence

Father D’Souza, Pastoral Vicar

Father Johann Roten, S.M.

Pray the rosary to

Our Lady of Šuliva

IRON Wolf

Birželis * June * 2019 * V 2 * Issue 6

Knights of Lithuania #96 * Dayton, OH

Dayton, OH Lithuanians &

Friends of Holy Cross

Lithuanian RC Church

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SINCE YOU ARE READING THIS…. THANK OUR SPONSORS & consider being one!

If you are unable to be a sponsor, consider asking your dentist, doctor or bakery, or grocery to be a sponsor. We need patrons to keep the newsletter successful.

Birželis (June) is derived from beržas, the birch, which flowers during this month. Birch branches are used as decorations during

Pentecost. Its earlier names were visjavis, jaunius, žienpjovys,

sėmenis, kirmėlių, biržis, mėšlinis, and pūdymo.

C96 Officers &

Committees

President - Michael Petkus 1st VP - Membership Daniel Tucker 2nd VP – Junior Members Tina Kavy Recording Secretary - Anne Louise Tucker Treasurer - Alex Fletcher Financial Secretary - Mary Petkus Trustees - George A. Mikalauskas & Daniel Tucker Sgt. at Arms - Adam Fletcher Religious - Frances Petkus Lithuanian / Cultural Affairs - Michael Petkus Ritual committee - Anne Louise Tucker Vytis correspondent - Open & need a volunteer IRON WOLF Newsletter - MaryAgnes Mikalauskas Victoria Zilinkas Carter Historian - Elena Mikalauskas Photographer - Nathan Fletcher Social committee - Annamarie Sluzas Berger Ways & Means - Anne Louise Tucker Condolence - Julie Goecke By-Laws - Nathan Fletcher SARYSIS / Parish Council - Frances Petkus Public Relations - Open & need a volunteer

Offices and committees

are elected annually in October by the general membership and are open to those in good standing with a willingness to work for the good of the organization. A complete position description is available in the by-laws.

Thank you very much to longtime supporters and friends Armon and Venice Grantham! This month they recently upgraded their support of the IRON WOLF monthly C96 newsletter to Guardian Angel for the year! Ačių labia!

The Lithuanian Anglers will be making TURTLE SOUP

in a few short months…remember to save room in your

freezer and let your family and neighbors know it will be available!

The KUGELIS sold out very quickly last year…keep that in mind.

MaryAgnes Mikalauskas * 937.461.7139 * 224 Rita Blvd. * Dayton, Ohio 45404-2060 mamikalauskas@aol.com

IRON WOLF is published monthly by the Knights of Lithuania #96, Dayton, OH, USA. Subscription is free for 1 year (12

issues) with your paid dues for membership in the Knights of Lithuania national organization. Additional printed requests

are $2 per + $2 postage per issue or free via pfd. & email. Email requests to mamikalauskas@aol.com. The IRON WOLF

is a free & open forum for the expression of opinions. The opinions expressed herein are solely the opinion of the author

& in no way reflect the opinion of the publisher, staff or advertisers. IRON WOLF claims no ownership of any material

contained within this newsletter except for stated original articles or advertising. Every effort has been made to give

reference to information & historical material. It is presented for the sole use of your enjoyment & to learn more about

the Lithuanian community, past & present members, sponsors, friends, & other nationalities represented by our

membership and church community. IRON WOLF is not responsible for the accuracy of any & all information contained

within advertisements. IRON WOLF reserves the right to edit all submitted materials including press releases, letters

to the editor, articles, calendar listings for brevity and clarity. IRON WOLF is not legally responsible for the accuracy

of calendar or directly listings, nor is it responsible for possible postponements, cancelations, or changes in venue.

Manuscripts, documents and photographs sent to the IRON WOLF become the physical property of the publication,

which is not responsible for the return or loss of such material. The IRON WOLF is a member of the national Knights

of Lithuania organization, Chicago, IL, USA.

Articles are accepted from readers and officers for the IRON WOLF newsletter. You may submit via email or in person.

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Upcoming Events…mark your

calendars… so you can PARTICIPATE Saturday, June 8, 2019 at Nativity BVM Parish, 6820 South Washtenaw Ave., Chicago, IL 60629 * Summer District Meeting. C112 – Chicago, IL will be our host. The day will begin at 10a with refreshments & meeting begins 1030am. Following, we will be treated to a luncheon arranged by C112, @ no cost. C112 will be holding their annual raffle to support Sunlight Orphan Aid. Contact Susan Binkis at 1.773.471.4804 or sbinkis@gmail.com. RSVP no later than Saturday, June 1, 2019. Any dietary restrictions? Let Susan know. Saturday, June 22, 2019 * District Mini-Golf Outing. Mid-America District will gather for an afternoon of mini-golf and fun, 11a, PGN Fun Village, 8125 West 95th Street, Hickory Hills, IL 60457. Cost of a round of golf is $8 pp. Contact Rob Martin at 1.312.771.7432 or AMERLITH1@AOL.COM, Sat, June 15, 2019 to let them know you will be attending so reservations can be made. June 30th, 2019 * Sunday Farewell Open House for Father Deepak D’Souza! Come to St. Peter’s Reis Center in the afternoon, 12noon – 4p, to say goodbye to beloved Father D’Souza! Entertainment and snacks. July 12th, 2019 * Sunday * Monthly Knights of Lithuania meeting to be held in the Holy Cross church hall immediately following 1030a mass. July 26-July 28, 2019 * National Knights of Lithuania Convention. Aug 4th, 2019 * Sunday * Monthly Knights of Lithuania meeting to be held in the Holy Cross church hall immediately following 1030a mass.

J U N E

SPONSORS

Irena, Julia & Michael

Gecas - McCarthy

Armon & Venice Grantham

Fred P. Kreuzer, CPA

fredpkreuzercpa.com

Frances & George Mikalauskas

Terry & Jerry Scott

In memory of Anne & John Scott

DR. ALAN WILIMITIS, DO

childandadolescentcare.com

Lietuva, Tėvyne mūsų, Tu didvyrių žeme, Iš praeities Tavo sūnūs Te stiprybę semia. Tegul Tavo vaikai eina Vien takais dorybės, Tegul dirba Tavo naudai Ir žmonių gėrybei. Tegul saulė Lietuvoj Tamsumas prašalina, Ir šviesa, ir tiesa Mūs žingsnius telydi. Tegul meilė Lietuvos Dega mūsų širdyse, Vardan tos, Lietuvos Vienybė težydi!

SACRAMENTS BAPTISM: The baptismal preparation class is on the 1st Sat of the month, 9a-1030a in the Senior Center at St. Peter Parish. Call 237-3516 to RSVP for the baptism class and 233-1503 to schedule the baptism. Baptisms are held after the 11a Sunday Mass at St. Peter. Baptisms at Holy Cross, Our Lady of the Rosary, and St. Adalbert are by request. MARRIAGE: Arrangements are made 6 months in advance. Call the Parish Office at 233-1503. RECONCILIATION: Sat from 3p-4p at St. Peter & 4p-430p at Our Lady of the Rosary, 1st Sun of the month at St. Adalbert from 8a-830a & Holy Cross 10a-1030a. Also, by request. ANOINTING of the SICK: Priests are available to administer the Sacrament of the Sick. Please call the Parish Administration Office at 233-1503.

Thank you to our 2019 sponsors:

SPONSOR Terry & Jerry Scott PATRON Anonymous Victoria Zilinkas Carter

Fred P. Kreuzer, CPA Elena Mikalauskas Frances George Mikalauskas MaryAgnes Mikalauskas CHAMPION Gecas – McCarthy Family GUARDIAN ANGEL Armon & Venice Grantham Dr. Alan Wilimitis, DO

Thank you to our 2018 sponsors: Venice Grantham

Barb Kreuzer Fred P. Kreuzer,

CPA & Associates Lithuanian Anglers Elena Mikalauskas

MaryAgnes Mikalauskas Dr. Alan Wilimitis, DO

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Letters to the editor….and…more…

Dear MaryAgnes,

I truly enjoy

reading the

IRON WOLF

magazine. I love

keeping up on my

old friends in

Dayton and with

the Knights of

Lithuania! You do

an excellent job.

Please accept this

money for the

postage and

printing that is

needed for the

monthly costs. I

will continue to

send more along as

possible.

Best Wishes,

Venice and

Armon

Grantham

The Chicago-based Lithuanian Research

and Studies Center (www.lithuanianresearch.org)

has started up a project to make a searchable digital

archive of the major Lithuanian American newspapers

from the 20th century. They are starting with 3

newspapers: DIRVA, DARBININKAS, and KELEIVIS

(see www.spauda.org). They have asked the Vyčiai

for help in finding issues of DIRVA from the 1920s,

1930s, and especially, issues of DIRVA from July-Dec

1940, and 1941 and 1942 (all months).

The libraries in Ohio, Illinois, Pennsylvania, and

Minnesota, and the Library of Congress DO NOT have

these missing issues. If anyone knows where we

might be able to find DIRVA (1916-1928), 1930, 1935,

1940-1942, please call Kristina Lapienyte at the

Lithuanian Research and Studies Center at 773-434-

4545 or email her at info@lithuanianresearch.org.

CONGRATULATIONS to Simona Shrestha, Arūna Shrestha and Tėa Vinevičius! They are part of the prestigious Kettering Children’s Choir which performed the American National Anthem for the opening of the Dayton Dragons baseball game in downtown Dayton on Friday, May 10th. The choir did an excellent job and what a great night it was for a game!

OUTREACH MINISTRY For homebound or nursing home parishioners from Holy Cross, Our Lady of the Rosary, & St. Adalbert who need Communion brought to them, please contact Debby Demeter, at 245-1215 or email at debbydemeter@gmail.com

THANK YOU A big thank-you Holy Cross, Our Lady of the Rosary, and St. Adalbert parishes for support of the Dayton Right to Life Mother’s Day flower sale. We collected $490 to support Right to Life’s efforts to protect the rights of the unborn, elderly, mentally handicapped, disabled, and terminally ill. The leftover flowers were donated to the mothers who are currently staying at the Ronald McDonald House at Dayton Children's Hospital. There is no better way to celebrate the sanctity of life than by celebrating mothers!

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In Memory of…

John R. Mankus. Endicott, NY -

John Ramutis Mankus passed away on May 25, 2019, following a

brief illness. John is survived by his loving wife of 56 years,

Grace; son John V. (Deborah); son James K.; daughter, Mary K.;

cherished grandchildren: Madeline, Bradley, Bailey, Lily and

Finian; brothers and sisters-in-law: Joseph and Carole Mankus,

and Anthony and Jane Mankus; brothers-in-law and sisters-in-

law: Robert and Barbara Moughan, and William and Lila

Moughan. John was predeceased by his beloved son, William;

parents, Jonas and Joana; parents-in-law, William and Eva; and

sister-in-law, Mary Moughan.

John was born in Alytus, Lithuania. Following the Russian

invasion and occupation of Lithuania during World War II, John

and his family fled their homeland for safety and freedom from

the Communist regime. John and his family eventually took

refuge in various Displaced Persons Camps in Germany. After

living in Displaced Persons Camps for five years, John and his

family immigrated to the United States, first settling in Johnson

City and shortly thereafter, moving to Binghamton. John

graduated from Binghamton North High School. Upon

graduation, John entered IBM's Tool and Die Apprentice

Program. Upon completion of the Program, while working

fulltime at IBM, John obtained a mechanical engineering degree

from Broome Community College. John enjoyed a long and

distinguished career at IBM working as a tool and die maker, an

engineering designer and as a mechanical engineer, amassing

numerous patents under his name. After retiring from IBM, John

had a successful career in engineering sales. Upon retirement,

John and Grace, who loved spending time and traveling together,

had the opportunity to travel the world extensively, while also

setting aside time to frequently visit their much-loved children

and grandchildren. John was a founding member of the Southern

Tier Track and Field Association, and officiated track and field

events for over 50 years. John was especially proud of his

Lithuanian heritage and spoke his native language frequently.

John was a member of the Knights of Lithuania, holding many

leadership positions, including: National President, Amber

District President, St. Casimir Guild President, and currently,

Lithuanian Affairs Chairman. During his time with the Knights,

John was a frequent guest at the Lithuanian Embassy in

Washington, D.C., where he effectuated relationships with many

distinguished Lithuanians, including Presidents of Lithuania;

Lithuanian Ambassadors, Legislators and Advisors; and

professional athletes, actors and entertainers, either from

Lithuania or of Lithuanian descent. During his time with the

Knights, John was a frequent guest at the Lithuanian Embassy in

Washington, D.C., where he effectuated relationships with many

distinguished Lithuanians, including

Presidents of Lithuania; Lithuanian Ambassadors, Legislators and

Advisors; and professional athletes, actors and entertainers, either from

Lithuania or of Lithuanian descent. John and Grace were at the

Lithuanian Embassy on September 11, 2001, and spent hours confined

to the lower levels of the Embassy with the President of Lithuania and

his staff. John was incredibly kind and generous. John volunteered at

church, helped his neighbors and sent care packages to the needy in

Lithuania. John was especially good to his family. No matter what was

needed, John was there to offer his assistance. He was a responsible,

dependable, intelligent, hardworking, trustworthy, respectable and

honest husband, father, worker and friend. No one can ever replace

John and his absence will leave a permanent void in our lives. Calling

hours were 4 – 7p on Thursday, May 30, 2019, at Bednarsky Funeral

Home, 96 Glenwood Ave., Binghamton. On Friday, May 31, 2019,

prayer services were held at 9a at the funeral home, followed by a

Funeral Mass at 10a at St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church, 207 Hayes

Ave., Endicott. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions in

John's name to Mercy House, 212 North McKinley Avenue, Endicott,

NY 13760 or to a charity of your choice. Published in Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin from May 30 to May 31, 2019

Bishop Paulius Antanas

Baltakis, O.F.M. (1 January 1925 – 17 May 2019) was a

Lithuanian Roman Catholic prelate who served as the last Apostolic

Visitor for the Lithuanians in Diaspora from 1 June 1984 until his

resignation in 2003.

Bishop Baltakis was born into a family of Lithuanian farmers as the

second of eleven children and named as Antanas. He studied in

gymnasiums in Kretinga and Anykščiai until he was arrested by Nazi

agents in 1944 and sent to forced labor. After the liberation from the

forced labor camp at the end of World War II, he began to study at the

Catholic University of Leuven in 1945 and a year later joined the

mendicant Franciscan Order, where he was tonsured with the name

"Paulius" and made his solemn profession of vows on 15 September

1950. Baltakis was ordained as a priest on 24 August 1952, after

completing his theological studies. From 1952 Baltakis was attached to

the parish and missionary work among Lithuanian emigrants in the

United States and Canada. He organized the construction of a monastery

printing house, Lithuanian cultural center "Kultūros židinys" and taught

at a Lithuanian school. In 1979 he was elected provincial superior of the

Lithuanian St. Casimir Franciscan Province and served in this office

until 1984. He was an Honorary member of the Knights of Lithuania. On 1 June 1984 Pope John Paul II appointed him as an Apostolic Visitor

for the Lithuanian Roman Catholics in diaspora and made him Titular

Bishop of Egara. He received his episcopal consecration in the Cathedral

of the Immaculate Conception in Portland, Maine, on 14 September

1978 from Cardinal Pio Laghi. Baltakis resigned these titles in 2003 and

remained in the United States until April 2018 when he returned to

Lithuania. Bishop Baltakis died on 17 May 2019 in Kaunas. He was

buried in Kretinga, Lithuania.

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Mission Appeal

June and July 2019

Daughters of Mary Tabora, Tanzania

I am Sister Magdalena Chubwa. I was born and raised

in the western part of Tanzania, by Lake Tanganyika. I

come from a family of nine children; five of whom are

already sleeping in Christ, to use the expression of St.

Paul (1Thessalonians 4:14).

At 14 years, I was accepted into a religious

community, where I eagerly anticipated acquiring

formal education, a rare thing especially for most

girlchildren from my remote village. To facilitate my

primary school education, my poor mother locally

made and sold drinks / juices she made from bananas

at a local bus-stand / station; where she improvised a

shelter and sat nearly the whole day while patiently

waiting for possible buyers. My mother’s spirit of

selfless sacrifice and determination spurred me to

constantly push myself to attain the highest possible

grades throughout primary school and high school,

college and graduate school.

Here in the United States, I have obtained a BS in

Biology and a MS in Health Care Management and

Administration. I am now pursuing my PhD in Health

Sciences at Seton Hall University in South Orange,

New Jersey.

After my academic accomplishment in America, I will

return to Tanzania to join the few healthcare

professionals there, where I hope to contribute my

expertise, skills, and passion as a health care

professional, a teacher, and a researcher. I am

grateful to God for this opportunity to prepare myself

to serve the poor and most marginalized whom I hold

so dear to my heart. I hope to share this knowledge

and experience when I return to Tanzania; a country

that badly needs specialists to work on both

preventive and curative healthcare.

The Congregation of the Daughters of Mary, with its

headquarters in the Archdiocese of Tabora was

founded in 1933 by the Missionaries of Africa. It was

established in response to the tremendous social,

economic and spiritual needs of the local people.

The Charisma of the congregation is love and

service, and all the community members live their

Charisma by engaging in different activities such as

health care, pastoral ministry, social works,

education, women and youth development.

Education and healthcare services are particularly

directed to rural areas where we serve poor

nomadic people, orphans, and deaf children.

We missed Sister Magdalena speaking at Masses at

Holy Cross and St. Adalbert on June 1st and 2nd

because of the tornado, but she was at Our Lady of

the Rosary.

Please consider donating to this mission appeal.

Sister will be at masses at St. Peter July 27th and

28th. You can use any envelop you have or simply

hand the money to Sister at mass. Donate to this

worthy cause. Help the young girls complete high

school so they may enter the convent.

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Rev. Audrius Arštikaitis Rector

Pontifical Lithuanian College of St. Casimir

audrius_ar@yahoo.com

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

A few weeks ago we celebrated Easter, which gave as once again a priviliged opportunity to experience our personal

meeting with the Risen Christ. It constituted also an occasion to think about the personal vocation of each of us –

were we lay person, religious or priests – and rediscover it in a new light of the divine grace. As every year, in

preparation for the Fourth Sunday of Easter – the Good Shepherd’s Sunday – the Pope Francis invited us to renew

also our prayers for vocations. This year, the theme suggested by the Holy Father is: “The courage to take a risk for

God’s promise.” In His annual Message, Pope Francis encourages us to be confident about the Way that Jesus

indicates to us and to walk with courage along it, while being assured that The Lord’s call is not an intrusion of God

in our freedom, it is not “cage” or a burden to be borne. On the contrary, it is the loving initiative whereby God

encounters us and invites us to be part of a great undertaking.

As you already know, The Pontifical Lithuanian College seeks to give a very specific academic and spiritual

contribution to the formation of vocations, by creating the suitable conditions for Lithuanian priests studying in Rome.

Last year we celebrated its 70th anniversary from foundation with an active participation – by prayers, visits and

material contribution – many from you. As you remember, last year we presented also a particular project of works

for replacing work wooden parquet of our College’s College chapel with the marbel floor, and launched a campaign

of contribution amoung former students and benefactors for this purpose. Overall we collected €15,855 euros, or

$17,777 USD, and we are profoundly thankful to each of you. These works are still to be realized; but on that

occasion, to would be coherent to renew our Chapel’s main wooden alter and ambon to marble ones as well. The

whole project – new floor, alter and ambon from marble – will be approximately €40,000 euros or $44,853 USD. We

thank you in advance for any support from all of our friends, benefactors and former students in realizing the

mentioned project.

On the occasion of the Good Shepherd Dunday, on behalf of our College’s community, I renew my heartfelt gratitude

for your closeness, friendship and support, all of which are so important for our College in order to be in a position to

continue our activities also in the future. On every Sunday we offer Holy Masses for our benefactors and our new

vocations, and on the Day of Prayers for Vocations, we will do it in a special way.

I pray the Lord fill you and your dear loved ones with Divine grace. With thankfulness for your continuous closeness

and with my sincerest regards in Christ,

Rev. Audrius Arštikaitis Rector,

Pontifical Lithuanian College of St. Casimir

Remember …you can talk with Father Audrius Arštikaitis at the National Convention in July. This is an easy

way to make a donation to Father & the PONTIFICIO COLLEGIO LITUANO since you are seeing him.

PONTIFICIO COLLEGIO LITUANO S. CASIMIRO

Via Casalmonferrato, 20

00182 ROMA. Italia

Tel.06.70.25.724

www.villalituania.com

8

In 1944, when the Soviets occupied Lithuania for the second time, everyone perceived

the impending misfortune to both the Church and the nation. Violence, arrests, prison, exiles and moral oppression especially endangered bishops, priests, religious and all the intellectuals among the faithful. With the fires from the front approaching, the Lithuania’s Bishops decided to quickly send a group of seminarians to Germany to continue their studies in Eichstätt’s Seminary.

A year later, with the assistance of the Holy See and Lithuanian clergy in the diaspora, 20 seminarians were sent to Rome in the hope of establishing St. Casimir’s Lithuanian College under the leadership of Msgr. L. Tulaba, who had earlier come to Rome from Eichstätt. Temporarily the Lithuanians stayed at the South American College and attended lectures at the Pontifical Gregorian University. Shortly after, a search of funds, as well as building for the College began.

Thanks to a generous donation from a Lithuanian American pastor, Msgr. A. Briška, the building at Via Casalmonferrato 20 was purchased. From autumn 1946, the College began its activity at this address, and continues there today. On May1, 1948, The Pontifical Lithuanian College of St. Casimir was erected in an official canonical form.

The history of the College may be divided into two important periods. The first period dates from the establishment of the college to 1991. During this time, the candidates came from the Lithuanian diaspora, which they later returned to engage in pastoral work. The second period began in 1991 and continues up until today. With the reestablishment of Lithuania’s independence after 50 years life under the iron curtain, at the Holy Father’s request and under the care of the new rector Msgr. Alg. Bartkus, 20 seminarians and a few priests arrived from Lithuania. The Sisters of The Congregation of the Holy Family came from Lithuania to work at the seminary.

They continue this valued service today. With the approval of Holy See, it was decided that upon ordination of the first group of seminarians who had arrived from Lithuania, the College would accept only priests, sent by Lithuanian bishops to Rome to seek advanced studies. Since 1948, more than 170 priests graduated from the College. Among these alumni are Cardinal Audrys J. Bačkis, H.E. Archbishops Jonas Bulaitis, and Gintaras Grušas, and Bishops Romualdas Krikščiūnas, Rimantas Norvila, Jonas Ivanauskas, Arūnas Poniškaitis. Upon completion of their studies, everyone returned to their homeland, where they took up the important mission of reviving the long persecuted religious life. The College’s alumni, having acquired academic degrees, successfully work in diocesan curies, ecclesiastic tribunals, are in positions of responsibility in seminaries, lectures in universities, etc. St. Casimir’s College provides the conditions for the intellectual and spiritual formation of priests, but at the same time does not neglect the fostering of cultural and national dimension as well. This College has for long years assumed its role as of an institution which represented the Lithuanian culture and traditions.

9

After 1990, when the re-opened Embassies of the Lithuanian Republic have retaken their duty as of official representations, the College has nevertheless conserved its presence in Lithuanian diaspora’s in Italy life and continued to offer its own contribution for promoting various cultural activities. This present aspect is being constantly appreciated by Lithuanian Heads of State (Vytautas Landsbergis, Valdas Adamkus, Algirdas Brazauskas, Rolandas Paksas, Dalia Grybauskaitė) during their visits to St. Casimir’s College. Undoubtedly, the College intends to continue its functioning and further give the spiritual, intellectual and cultural contribution to the Homeland and to the Lithuanian diaspora. At the same time, it needs constant funding for its very existence.

At present, about a half of College’s expenses is yearly covered by the United States of America Bishops’ Conference, a portion from the Knights of Lithuania annual contribution through the national convention and, for a smaller part, by Lithuania’s Bishops’ Conference through “Villa Lithuania” guests house in Rome. The remaining half, nevertheless, must be annually financed by private donators. For this reason, the College’s Rector expresses his most profound thankfulness, on behalf of the community of this College, for every member of the Lithuanian community who give their support by prayers and by offerings, will and testaments, when it is possible. While we express our gratitude to all our benefactors, assuring them of constant prayers at our daily Mass, we also ask the merciful Lord to grant to them abundant graces as recompense.

To consider being a guest at the villa in Rome, write Father Audrius Arštikaitis - audrius_ar@yahoo.com

Rome attractions - From Villa Lituania you can easily reach:

Basilica of Saint John Lateran - 10 min. walking

Colosseum - 15 min. by Bus

Basilica of San Peter’s - 20 min. by Metro

Contact us for reservations by phone or e-mail…

Guest House - Villa Lituania

Piazza Asti, 25 - 00182 Rome, Italy

Phone (+39) 06.7017464, E-mail info@villalituania.com

10

St. John's Day or

Midsummer Festival in

Lithuania

Saint Jonas' Festival, also known as Rasos (Dew Holiday), Joninės, Kupolė, Midsummer Day or Saint John's Day) is a midsummer folk festival celebrated on June 24th all around Lithuania. While midsummer day is celebrated throughout Europe, many Lithuanians have a particularly lively agenda on this day. The traditions include singing songs and dancing until the sun sets, telling tales, searching to find the magic fern blossom at midnight, jumping over bonfires, greeting the rising midsummer sun and washing the face with a morning dew, young girls float flower wreaths on the water of river or lake.

Once upon a time the Balts, the ancestors of the Lithuanians, celebrated the feast of Rasos by offering sacrifices to the pagan gods, and priestesses incited the altar fire. When Christianity came to Lithuania, it brought with it the celebration of Saint John's Day and since then, it has been celebrated in Lithuania, being called Joninės (St. John's) in the local language. Lithuanians with the names Jonas, Jonė, or Janina receive many greetings from their family, relatives and friends. The Day of St John or midsummer is one of the oldest and most joyful festivals, which is celebrated in many European countries, including Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Scandinavian countries and Finland, Russia and other Slavic countries and many other. The holiday, in fact, is not the Midsummer Day, June 24th, but the evening and night from 23rd to 24th of June, which in fact corresponds to summer solstice. From pagan times it is known as the festival of Dew, but Christianity named it the festival of John the Baptist.

Although St. John the Baptist occupies a very important place among the saints, the Church does not attach any great importance to the celebration of his nativity. It is a festival of simple people, who believe, that this shortest night of the year is very special, as the four elements – the water, the fire, the earth and air as well as all the vegetation have magic powers. Young girls make wreaths of wildflowers and put on their heads.

A tall pole with a wooden wheel soaked in tar is put up at the top of the highest hill. Men whose names are Jonas (John) set the wheels on fire and make bonfires around it. Young people dance round the fire, sing songs about rye, play games, men try to jump over the fire. The burning wheels on the poles are rolled down the hill into a river or a lake at its foot, men jumping over it all along.

On Midsummer Day dew and herbs have special healing powers. Medicinal herbs collected from June 1st to the Midsummer Day can cure 12 (some say 99) diseases. Young girls wash their faces in the dew to make themselves beautiful and walk barefoot on the grass. Special importance is given to the Midsummer Day's fire. People jump over it or even walk barefoot on the spread ashes.

The peak of the night is the midnight, when according to common belief the fern blossoms and those, who find the blossom will become extremely wise, rich and happy. But it is very difficult to find it as witches protect it and scare everyone away. Young people don’t go to sleep and sing, dance and play games all through Midsummer Night until sunrise. Girls float wreaths on rivers to find out how soon they will get married.

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The List of Lithuanian gods

is reconstructed based on scarce written sources and late folklore. Lithuania converted to Christianity in 1387, but elements of Lithuanian mythology survived into the 19th century. The earliest written sources, authored by foreigners and Christians, only briefly mention the Lithuanian gods. Beginning in the 16th century, the pagan religion received more attention from authors, but often their accounts were confused, contradictory, and heavily influenced by various religious agendas. Collection and recording of folklore began in the 19th century, by which time the pagan mythology had become fragmented and mixed with Christian traditions. The cults of old deities transformed into folklore (individual tales, myths, songs, etc.) without associated rituals. Because of such difficulties obtaining data, there is no accepted list of Lithuanian gods. Different authors present wildly contradictory reconstructions of the Lithuanian pantheon.

Names from folklore myths and legends. This section

includes the names of gods, divine or demonic beings,

and other personages from Lithuanian myths, legends,

folklore, and fairy-tales.

• Ašvieniai, the twins who pulled the chariot of the Sun (the Vedic Ashwins).

• Aušrinė, the Morning Star, a goddess, a daughter of the God ("dievaitė"). She was the goddess of the morning. Alternatively, her name is given as Aušra ("dawn"). (Usha in Vedic religion.)

• Auštaras (Auštra), the god of the northeast wind, who stands at the gates of paradise and lights the way for those going to paradise. His function of shining this beacon makes him similar to Aušrinė; some consider him to be her cousin.

• Bangpūtys, the god of the seas and storms ––he is two-faced like the Roman god Janus.

• Dalia, goddess of fate and weaving. • Deivės Valdytojos (Lithuanian: Governing

Goddesses), were the goddesses who made garments from human's lives. They were seven sisters: Verpiančioji (who spun the threads of life), Metančioji (who threw rims of life), Audėja (the weaver), Gadintoja (who broke the thread), Sergėtoja (who scolded Gadintoja, and instigated war between people), Nukirpėja (who cut the cloth of life), and Išskalbėja (the laundress). They have similarities with the Greek Fates and the Norse Norns. Deivės Valdytojos were associated with Dalia and Laima.

• Dievas, ("God"), the supreme deity • Dievas Senelis ("God Old Man"), a teacher of

people and judge of their morality. He looks like an old traveling beggar. Dievas Senelis is proficient at magic and medicine. Epithet of Dievas.

• Gabija, the foster of the Holy Fire, a goddess, a daughter of Dievas ("dievaitė").

• Laima, goddess of Fate and pregnant women. • Mėnuo, the Moon, a son of Dievas ("dievaitis"). • Perkūnas, the Thunder, the main god.

("dievaitis") (Parjanya/Indra in Vedic religion). • Praamžius, Pramšans, Pramžimas,

Praamžimas, an epithet of Dievas (the chief god); probably of later literary origin.

• Saulė, the Sun Goddess (Surya in Vedic religion) • Vakarinė, goddess of the Evening Star. • Vėjopatis, god of the wind and master of Dausos

(paradise) • Žvaigždės (singular: žvaigždė), stars.Saulė (the

sun) is their mother and sometimes with the Moon as their father. One of the most important stars is Aušrinė. Other stars, Aušrinė's sisters, are less important, but they sometimes appear in mythic stories too. Especially notable ones are Vakarinė or Vakarė (the evening Venus, who makes the bed for Saulė), Indraja (Jupiter), Sėlija (Saturn), Žiezdrė (Mars), and Vaivora (Mercury).

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Heroes and heroines • Pajauta, the legendary princess of Kernavė • Jūratė and Kastytis are heroes of a Lithuanian

legend, which subsequently became popular, mostly because of its modern poetic interpretation by Maironis. The queen of the amber palace Jūratė may be considered a manifestation of the goddess of Sea in this legend.

Local and nature spirits • Ežerinis, a spirit of lakes • Javinė, a household god who protects grain in

barns. • Jievaras, a household spirit who protects grain.

Sacrifices to Jievaras are made after the rye harvest. While cutting grain, women would leave a few grain tufts uncut, which would later be braided into plaits. They would also leave some bread and salt under the plate, and would say: Davei manei, Žemele, duodame ir tau ([You] gave for us, Mother Earth, we are giving for you too), a request for the land to continue to be fruitful.

• Kupolė, the spirit of springtime vegetation and flowers. The Festival of Kupolė (Kupolinės) was associated with Feast of St. John the Baptist (Joninės). In this festival, women picked sacral herbs, danced and sang songs. Kupolinės is also known as Rasos. Compare this with Ziedu māte in Latvian mythology, Kupala in Polish mythology and Ivan Kupala in Russian mythology

• Laukų dvasios (spirits of fields), spirits, who were running through the fields. When crops in the fields waved in the wind, people saw them as being the actions of spirits. Laukų dvasios include Nuogalis, Kiškis (hare), Meška (bear), Lapė (fox), Katinas (tomcat), Bubis, Bubas, Bubė, Baubas, Babaužis, Bobas, Maumas (bugaboo), Raudongalvis (red-headed), Raudongerklis (red-throated), Žaliaakis (green-eyed), Paplėštakis, Guda, Dizikas, Smauglys (boa), Ruginis (spirit of rye), Papiokė, Pypalas, Žebris, Arklys (horse), Vilkas (wolf).

• Upinis, a spirit of rivers

Various lower beings • Kaukas, spirits like leprechauns. • Laumė, a fairy-like female creature (pixies).

Described as white and blue as the sky itself. Good spirit, very friendly with the Earth and

Nature gods. However, if anyone tried to use them, the punishment was severe.

• Nykštukas, gnomes. • Vėlės, spirits of dead human beings.

Demonic beings

• Aitvaras, a household spirit bringing both good and bad luck

• Baubas, an evil spirit with long lean arms, wrinkly fingers and red eyes. He harasses people and tears their hair or stifles them. To children, he is the equivalent of the boogeyman of the English-speaking countries. A misbehaving child could be told by the parents: "Behave, or baubas will come and get you". Also, it could be described as a black and dark creature living under the carpet or in some dark spot of the house.

• Giltinė – goddess of death, also The Reaper. Other names include Kaulinyčia, Maras (black death or the Plague), Maro mergos, Kolera, Pavietrė, Kapinių žmogus. Her sacred bird is the owl. Sometimes she was a sister of Laima (luck).

• Ragana is an old-looking female or witch. Mostly has dark intentions and powers to control forces of nature. They probably were old ladies living by the forest, having a good knowledge of plants and their use for medical and other purposes.

• Slogutis means pain, misery or nightmare. Also, can mean fear or bad feelings.

• Pinčiukas, devil, not the pure evil being of Christianity, but a trickster. Earlier - dweller or even god of bogs and marshes.

• Žiburinis, a scary forest spirit that appears as a phosphorescent skeleton.

Holy places and things • Dausos or Dangus, the home of good souls.

Dausos is on a high mountain (Latvian Debeskalns, or Norse Valhalla), between two rivers. There are golden apple-trees in the Dausos garden. Day in the garden is perpetual but outside its confines is perpetual night. Master of Dausos is Vėjopatis (Lord of the wind) or Vėjas (Wind) who is also one of the oldest gods in Lithuanian mythology. Vėjas is identical to Vayu of Hinduism. Auštaras and Vėjopatis are keepers of Dausos’s gates (Dausų Vartai). While Auštaras shows the way for good souls, Vėjas (Vėjopatis) blows bad souls into oblivion.

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Earliest Russian chronicles. Some names from Lithuanian mythology are also found in Russian chronicles of the 13th century. These deities were secretly worshiped by King of Lithuania Mindaugas after his baptism. Russian chronicles are considered the best source of information about the ancient Lithuanian pantheon worshiped by nobles and the military.

• Sovijus in 13th-century Russian chronicles was a person who introduced the pagan custom of burning bodies after death, according to studies by Gintaras Beresnevičius. The mediaeval chronicles tell that this custom is very old and was called Sovica. Sovica was practiced not only by Lithuanians but also by other pagan tribes (Livonians, Estonians and others).

• Medeina (Medeinė) is another euphemism of the hunting and forest goddess. Medeina also was mentioned in the 16th century by J. Lasicki. She was worshiped by King Mindaugas and represented military interest of warriors.

• Teliavelis (Televelis) was a powerful smith who made the sun and threw it to the sky. This myth survived in folk tales in the beginning of the 20th century. Some scholars, like K. Būga tried to prove that Televelis is incorrectly written Kalvelis (smith diminutive in Lithuanian). Teliavelis has connections with Finnish Ilmarinen.

• Andajus (Andajas, Andojas, etc.) was mentioned in medieval chronicles as the supreme deity. It may be euphemism for Dievas. It is mentioned in chronicle that warriors invoke Andajus in battle.

• Nonadievis (Nunadievis; etimologized by some scholars as Numadievis) is an incorrectly written name of the supreme god or just another euphemism.

• Perkūnas was the god of thunder, one of the most powerful deities. Perkūnas survived in popular belief and folk tales till the 20th century.

• Diviriks is thought to be one of Perkūnas' euphemisms, meaning "leader of gods".

Martynas Mažvydas. Martynas Mažvydas in his Latin introduction to Catechismusa Prasty Szadei (1547) urged the people to abandon their pagan ways and mentioned the following gods:

• Perkūnas (Percuno) – god of thunder • Laukosargas (Laucosargus) – god of grains and

other agricultural plants • Žemėpatis (Semepates) – god of cattle and

other farm animals

Maciej Stryjkowski. Maciej Stryjkowski (1547–1593) was a Polish–Lithuanian historian and author of Chronicle of Poland, Lithuania, Samogitia and all Russia. In this work, Stryjkowski provided two lists of gods, one Old Prussian and another Lithuanian. He listed 16 Lithuanian gods:

1. Prakorimas (Prokorimos) – the supreme deity. Stryjkowski elaborated that people used to sacrifice white cocks to Prakorimas. Their flesh was divided into three pieces: one for peasants, another for pagan priests (Lithuanian: žynys), and a third for burning. Stryjkowski pointed out that Prakorimas was similar to the Prussian supreme god Okopirmas.

2. Rūgutis (Ruguczis) – god of fermentation and fermented foods

3. Žemininkas (Ziemennik) – god of land and agriculture. The cult of the žaltys (grass snake) is associated with the cult of Žemininkas.

4. Krūminė (Kruminie Pradziu Warpu) – deity of ears, provider of crops

5. Lietuvonis (Lituwanis) – god of rain 6. Kauriraris (Chaurirari) – deity of war and

warhorses. The name etymology is unclear. Vladimir Toporov suggested that it is derived from the Lithuanian word kaurai (fur), while Wilhelm Mannhardt argued it stems from karas (war).

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7. Sutvaras (Sotwaros) – god of all cattle 8. Šeimos dievas (Seimi Dewos) – god of family 9. Upinis dievas (Upinis Dewos) – god of rivers 10. Bubilas – god of honey and bees 11. Didis Lado (Dzidzis Lado) – the great god.

Festivities, songs, and dances in his honor lasted from May 25 to June 25. There are doubts whether this represents an actual god.[7]

12. Gulbis (Gulbi Dzievos) – the good spirit of every human, guardian angel

13. Ganiklis (Goniglis Dziewos) – god of herds and shepherds

14. Šventpaukštinis (Swieczpunscynis) – god of all domesticated and wild birds. People did not offer sacrifices to him as he was a free spirit.

15. Kelių dievas (Kielu Dziewos) – god of roads, trade and travel

16. Pušaitis or Puškaitis (Puszajtis) – deity of land, dwelling in elder bushes and commanding chthonic dwarfs (barstukas)

Wikipedia.com

Lithuanian mythology is the mythology of

Lithuanian polytheism, the religion of pre-Christian Lithuanians. Like other Indo-Europeans, ancient Lithuanians maintained a polytheistic mythology and religious structure. In pre-Christian Lithuania, mythology was a part of polytheistic religion; after the Christianization mythology survived mostly in folklore, customs and festive rituals. Lithuanian mythology is very close to the mythology of other Baltic nations and tribes and is being considered a part of the Baltic mythology.

Early Lithuanian religion and customs were based on oral tradition. Therefore, the very first records about Lithuanian mythology and beliefs were made by travelers, Christian missionaries, chronicle writers and historians. Original Lithuanian oral tradition partially survived in national ritual and festive songs and legends which were started to write down in 18th century. The first bits about Baltic religion were written down by Herodotus and Tacitus. In the 9th century there is one attestation about Prussian funeral traditions by Wulfstan.

Surviving information about Baltic paganism in general is fragmented. As with most ancient Indo-European cultures (e.g. Greece and India), the original primary mode of transmission of seminal information such as myths,

stories, and customs was oral, the then-unnecessary custom of writing being introduced later during the period of the text-based culture of Christianity. Most of the early written accounts are very brief and made by foreigners, usually Christians, who disapproved of pagan traditions. Some academics regard some texts as inaccurate misunderstandings or even fabrications. In addition, many sources list many different names and different spellings, thus sometimes it is not clear if they are referring to the same thing.

Lithuanians worshipping a grass snake and holy fire. From Olaus Magnus' Historia de gentibus

septentrionalibus (History of the Northern Peoples), book 3, 1555

Lithuania became Christianized between the end of the 14th century and the beginning of the 15th century, but pagan religions survived for another two centuries, gradually losing cultural influence and coherence. The last conceptions of the old religion survived approximately until the beginning of the 19th century.

The relics of the old polytheistic religion were already interwoven with songs, tales and other mythic stories. It was difficult to have a whole, solid view about Lithuanian mythology. Another difficulty in this process is that Lithuanian mythology was not static, but constantly developed, so that it did not remain in the same form over the longer periods usually treated by mythologists.

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Romuva sanctuary in Prussia. From Christoph

Hartknoch's Alt- und neues Preussen (Old and New Prussia), 1684.

Many scholars preferred to write their own reconstructions of Lithuanian mythology, based also on historical, archaeological, and ethnographic data. The first such reconstruction was written by the Polish-speaking Lithuanian historian Theodor Narbutt at the beginning of the 19th century. Two well-known attempts at reconstruction have been attempted more recently by Marija Gimbutas and Algirdas Julien Greimas. The most modern academics exploring Lithuanian mythology in the second half of the 20th century were Norbertas Vėlius and Gintaras Beresnevičius.

Relations with other mythological systems. Lithuanian mythology is perhaps closest to Latvian mythology, and according to the prevalent point of view, Lithuanians shared the same myths and basic features of their religion with the Old Prussians. On the other hand, individual elements have much in common with other mythological systems, and especially with those of neighboring cultures.

The periods of Lithuanian mythology. Pre-Christian mythology is known mainly through speculation and reconstruction, although the existence of some mythological elements, known from later sources, has been confirmed by archaeological findings. It is reflected in folk tales, such as Jūratė and Kastytis, Eglė the Queen of Serpents and the Myth of Sovijus.

The next period of Lithuanian mythology started in the 15th century and lasted till approximately the middle of the 17th century. The myths of this period are mostly heroic,

concerning the founding of the state of Lithuania. Perhaps two the best known stories are those of the dream of the Grand Duke Gediminas and the founding of Vilnius,[1] the capital of Lithuania, and of Šventaragis' Valley, which also concerns the history of Vilnius. Many stories of this kind reflect actual historical events. In general, these myths are colored by patriotism. Already by the 16th century, there existed a non-unified pantheon; data from different sources did not correspond one with another, and local spirits, especially those of the economic field, became mixed up with more general gods and ascended to the level of gods.

The third period began with the growing influence of Christianity and the activity of the Jesuits, roughly since the end of the 16th century. The earlier confrontational approach to the pre-Christian Lithuanian heritage among common people was abandoned, and attempts were made to use popular beliefs in missionary activities. This also led to the inclusion of Christian elements in mythic stories. The last period of Lithuanian mythology began in the 19th century, when the importance of the old cultural heritage was admitted, not only by the upper classes, but by the nation more widely. The mythical stories of this period are mostly reflections of the earlier myths, considered not as being true, but as the encoded experiences of the past. They concentrated on moral problems, and on a heroic vision of the past, rather than on individual heroes, who very often even lacked proper names, being referred to as "a duke", "the ruler of the castle", etc.

Gods and Nature. Stories, songs, and legends of this kind describe laws of nature and such natural processes as the change of seasons of the year, their connections with each other and with the existence of human beings. Nature is often described in terms of the human family; in one central example (found in many songs and stories), the sun is called the mother, the moon the father, and stars the sisters of human beings. Lithuanian mythology is rich in gods and minor gods of water, sky and earth.

Legacy. Lithuanian mythology serves as a constant inspiration for Lithuanian artists. Many interpretations of Eglė - the Queen of Serpents were made in poetry and visual art. In modern Lithuanian music polytheistic rituals and sutartinės songs were source of inspiration for Bronius Kutavičius. Old Lithuanian names related to nature and mythology are often given to the children.

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Female deities • Praurimė (Praurime) – goddess of sacred fire,

she was served by vaidilutės • Lada (Lado) – the great goddess, Rasos festival

is dedicated to her • Budtė (Budte) – goddess of wisdom • Laima (Lajma) – goddess of fate • Pelenų Gabija (Polengabia) – goddess of

fireplaces • Moterų Gabija (Matergabia) – goddess of bread

and bakery • Perkūnaitėlė (Perkunatele) – wife of Perkūnas • Pilvytė (Pilwite) – goddess of money, riches, and

good luck • Lietuva (Liethua) – goddess of freedom,

pleasure, joy • Veliuona (Wellona) – goddess of eternity,

afterlife • Pergrubė (Pergrubie) – goddess of spring,

flowers, gardens • Milda – goddess of love, courtship • Krūminė (Krumine) – goddess of grain,

agriculture • Nijolė (Nijola) – mistress of the underworld, wife

of Poklius • Alabatis – goddess of flax • Aušra (Ausssra) – morning goddess • Bezelea – evening goddess • Brėkšta (Brekszta) – goddess of darkness and

dreams • Kruonis (Kronis) – goddess of time • Užsparinė (Usparinia) – goddess of land borders • Verpėja (Werpeja) – weaver of the thread of life • Gondu – goddess of weddings • Upinė (Upine) – goddess of rivers, springs • Ratainyčia (Ratajniczu) – goddess protecting

horses • Valginė (Walgina) – goddess protecting animals • Luobo gelda (Lajbegelda) – goddess of

knowledge and rumors • Mėšlų boba (Mahslu baba) – goddess of

garbage • Budintoja – spirit that wakes sleeping people • Austėja (Austheja) – goddess of bees • Ragutiene Pati (Ragutenapati) – wife of Ragutis • Žemės Motina (Zemmes mahti) – goddess of

underground, responsible for lost items • Gaila (Gajla) – spirit torturing people and animals • Neris – nymph of Neris River • Dugnė (Dugna) – nymph of rivers

• Ragana – goddess of trees • Lazdona – goddess of hazelnut • Medziojna – goddess of forests • Pajauta – worshiped woman, daughter of Duke • Birutė (Biruta) – worshiped woman, wife of

Kęstutis Other written sources. This section contains those names of Lithuanian and Prussian gods or other mythical beings that are mentioned in old treatises on history or philosophy, sometimes accompanied by brief descriptions, and which are known from a few independent sources or from their counterparts under different names in later collections of myths and tales.

• Dimstipatis (mentioned by Jokūbas Lavinskis), is a masculine deity (genius loci). It is a household god, the guardian of houses and caretaker of the hearth. People sacrificed roosters and black hens to the deity. The birds were boiled; later people would gather around the kettle and eat the birds. The bones were burned. Sometimes Dimstipatis is reconstructed as a god of housewives, to whom pigs were sacrificed. Dimstipatis was also seen as a power protecting from fires.

• Dirvolika, Nosolus (Jesuit reports from 1605) • Pagirnis (Jesuit reports from 1605) • Baukuris (Kraziu kolegijos) • Velinas (mentioned by Konstantinas Sirvydas) • Javinė (Jawinne by Jacob Brodowski) • Laima (Daniel Klein in 1666)

Other names. Names of figures that were more marginal in Lithuanian mythology or less known from existing sources.

• Blizgulis, a god of snow. • Junda, Goddess of War • Baubis, a household god of meat and cattle. • Divytis, a god-like hero of fishermen legends.

Fishermen at sea sang songs about Divytis. • Gardaitis, a god (a spirit?) of ships and sailors. • Jagaubis, a household spirit of fire and the

furnace. • Rasa, Kupolė's and Kaupolis' daughter. She is

the goddess of summer's greenage and flowers. • Mokas, a stone with an ability to teach people,

sometimes they are found in families - with wife Mokienė and children Mokiukas

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Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn Lithuanian: Aušros Vartų Dievo Motina,

Polish: Matka Boska Ostrobramska,

Belarusian: Маці Божая Вастрабрамская,

Russian: Остробрамская икона Божией Матери

is the prominent painting of the Blessed Virgin Mary venerated by the faithful in the Chapel of the Gate of Dawn in Vilnius, Lithuania. The painting was historically displayed above the Vilnius city gate; city gates of the time often contained religious artifacts intended to ward off attacks and bless passing travelers.

The painting is in the Northern Renaissance style and was completed most likely around 1630. The Virgin Mary is depicted without the infant Jesus. The artwork soon became known as miraculous and inspired a following. A dedicated chapel was built in 1671 by the Discalced Carmelites. At the same time, possibly borrowing from the Eastern Orthodox tradition, the painting was covered in expensive and elaborate silver and gold clothes leaving only the face and hands visible.

The legend tells that in 1702, when Vilnius was captured by the Swedish army during the Great Northern War, Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn came to her people's rescue. At dawn, the heavy iron city gates fell, crushing and killing four Swedish soldiers. After this, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth Army successfully counter-attacked near the gate.

In the following centuries, the following grew stronger and Our Lady became an important part of religious life in Vilnius. The following inspired many copies in Lithuania, Poland, and diaspora communities worldwide. In 5 July 1927, the image was canonically crowned as Mother of Mercy. The chapel was visited by Pope John Paul II in 1993. It is a major site of pilgrimage in Vilnius and attracts many visitors, especially from Poland. The origin of the painting is not known. According to historian Teodor Narbutt (1784–1864), the painting was acquired by Algirdas, Grand Duke of Lithuania (c. 1296–1377), as a war trophy from Crimea. This note, based on dubious sources, along with dark colors of the painting that resembled Byzantine icons, inspired 19th-century Russian historians to claim that the painting was Orthodox and not Roman Catholic. This theory was popularized in various articles, brochures, studies and is sometimes quoted today. Others claimed that the painting was commissioned by King of Poland Sigismund II Augustus and depicted his wife Barbara Radziwiłł.

With silver cloth covering the entire painting, except for the face and hands, it was very hard for art historians to determine in what period the painting was created. In 1927, the silver cover was removed for the first time in decades. The painting was analyzed and restored. Based on the new data gathered during the restoration, Mieczysław Skrudlik came to a conclusion that the painting was completed around 1630–50 and linked it with another painting in the Corpus Christi Church in Kraków, created by artist Luke in 1624. Mary Kałamajska Saeed in her 1990 thesis argued that Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn was a work of a local artist and was inspired by contemporary Flemish mannerist painter Marten de Vos through an engraving of Thomas de Leu. In 1993, on the occasion of pope's visit, the painting was restored and one of its planks was dated based on its tree-rings. The scientists concluded that the oak grew in 1434–1620.

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Congratulations to Frances Ann & George Anthony Mikalauskas on their 60th Wedding Anniversary! George A. Mikalauskas, C96, born in Dayton, at the year of the beginning of the

Great Depression, 1929, tells the story of how he was talking to Father Walter

Katarskis. He told Father Walter he had to either get married soon, as it was now

1958, or join a religious order. That season, he travelled to Cleveland with his

buddies Jimmy Kavalauskas, Leo Mayauskas, and “Big Tip” Fred Tipton, to a

Knights of Lithuania bowling convention and who should he meet? A bowler

on the C25 Cleveland team, Frances Ann Machutas.

So, the story continues, as stories often do after an alus or two, George is talking

to his buddies and he relates he is coming back up to Cleveland for a wedding in

June 1958 for Charles Machutas “…marrying someone named Nelda.” Guess

who is now standing in the next group of Clevelanders? Someone named Nelda who never met George! George returns

to Dayton and Father Walter and has that typical of the time man to priest talk and Father tells him to give her the ring…and

yes, she said yes after the third date.

Frances and George were married at St. George’s Lithuanian RC Church in Cleveland on June 20th, 1959. Immediately

following was the breakfast for 150, then off to the Lithuanian Gardens for pictures at the Rockefeller Grounds. The

evening dinner party was held on Superior Avenue at the famous Lithuanian Club. And yes, one final story told by George,

he goes to the bar after standing in line all day and night shaking hands, acting good and asks for his first beer (do you

believe that?) and the bartender says…sorry we’re closed. George’s response…Damn it I’m the groom!

They have 3 children who are extremely grateful for all the sacrifices made by both George and Frances. At times with

loses for themselves, they saved in a variety of ways so the children could attend catholic grade and high school and

complete their undergraduate and graduate degrees. The family includes MaryAgnes, son George II, his wife Marian and

daughter Regina and Elena. George and Frances are C96 members for over 60 years, very proud of their Lithuanian

heritage and religiously practice their Roman Catholic faith.

T H E W E D D I N G P A R T Y

Standing L to R: Buddy Green, Bill Smith, Joan Susan, Dorothy Semega, Frances Mikalauskas, George Mikalauskas, Jimmy Kavalauskas, Fred Tipton, Leo Mayauskas

Sitting L to R: Alice Thomas, Constance Zilinkas, Patsy Machutas, John Machutas III, Nancy Reedick, Josephine Orlando.

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Mother’s Day was celebrated on Sunday, May 12, 2019

at Holy Cross Lithuanian RC Church beginning with 1030a mass. Connie

Geiger, choir director, selected beautiful songs for the mass. Fran Petkus was

in charge on the May Crowning and organizing all the mass activities. We had

quite a few wonderful children take part in the religious activities and May

Crowning for Mary, our Mother. Immediately following mass, we went to the

church hall.

Here we were

able to enjoy

each other’s

company and

feast on a

variety of

breakfast

treats

including

donuts, and

other sweets,

cheese and

crackers, hot coffee, juices, wine if you like and other goodies. The rest of the day was devoted to the family life

of each individual household. Thank you to all who participated in the preparations of the day in setting up and

cleaning up the church hall. Thank you to Dylan Haas, Caden Geiger and AJ Geiger for serving mass, Mary

Petkus ans Mr. Liagminas for reading, Connie Geiger for mass selections, Aaron Geiger and MaryAgnes

Mikalauskas for playing

the music, to the choir

for singing (Aaron

Geiger, Eric Geiger,

Molly Haas, Jim and

Connie Geiger,

Annamarie Sluzas

Berger, Regina

Mikalauskas, MaryAgnes

Mikalauskas, Erin

Petkus, Norma and

Michael Petkus, Robert

and Erin Petkus), Fran

Petkus for organizing the

mass activities, and Elena

Mikalauskas for tending

bar. We missed Tina

Kavy who was unable to

attend due to illness. If I

unintentionally

overlooked anyone let

me know for next month.

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The Blessed Virgin was crowned by

First communicant Raphael Stange.

21

Lithuania Marks Day of Mourning and Hope on June 14

At 3 o’clock in the morning on June 14, 1941, NKVD officers began mass arrests of Lithuanian citizens. Entire families of Lithuanians and Jews were deported to Siberia deep in the Soviet Union. More than 30,000 people from Lithuania were taken away in one week. They were sent to Siberia in sealed rail cars.

Lithuania marks this anniversary as the Day of Mourning and Hope in honor of those who died in exile.

The deportations of June 1941 was an enormous loss for Lithuania. The deportations affected all social strata and all ethnic groups. Thousands were torn from their homes and families, lost their property and means of making a living and sent into the worst sort of living conditions surrounded by alien cultures and a hostile environment. The deportees were physically exterminated in prisons, camps and selected deportation sites. A total of around 33.6 percent of deportees returned to Lithuania and 26.5 percent died. The fate of over 40 percent of deportees is still unknown but are assumed dead. The destruction of families and deportation to places unfit for life, directly leading to death, is judged a crime against humanity and an example of genocide by an occupying power against the people of Lithuania.

The first Soviet occupation of Lithuania in 1940 was a real blow to Jews as well. All Jewish institutions were closed, property was nationalized, and many Jews were sent along with ethnic Lithuanians to the camps in the east. As Solomonas Atamukas writes in his book “Lietuvos žydų keliai. Atmintis, tikėjimas, viltis” (2018), under Lithuanian Soviet Socialist

Republic NKGB order no. 0023 of April 25, 1941 issued to prepare the way for new deportations, the NKGB compiled lists of “anti-Soviet and counter-revolutionary elements.” NKGB categories for scheduling deportations included:

“Landowners, large factory owners, wholesale merchants and owners of buildings, the Jewish national counter-revolution: the heads of all Zionist organizations and permanent employees of press enterprises, Bund leaders and permanent employees of their press organs. Also [members of] the Union of Jews who Fought in the Battles for Lithuanian Independence, Jewish combatants (soldiers), the Beitar union (youth Zionist union), the EL-AL organization and the Revisionist Party.” From 1940 to 1941 a total of 2,613 Jews were targeted for repression. Among those, 1,660 were deported and 385 became political prisoners. Between June 14 and 18, 1941, most deportees and political prisoners ended up in the gulag. According to unverified sources, 375 Jews died in the camps and in exile. The deportations of 1941 accounted for about 1.3 percent of members of the Jewish community in Lithuania at that time. Thus, Jews were the most highly targeted ethnic group in Lithuania, including ethnic Lithuanians (approximately 0.5 percent). Jews in exile maintained their cultural identity and the Zionist organizations continued underground. There were also underground schools to teach Hebrew.

New list of Lithuanian KGB collaborators 'contains recognizable names' The Lithuania Tribune, BNS Monday, March 7, 2016 A new list of former KGB agents to be released will contain the names of about ten well-known Lithuanian public figures, according to the Genocide and Resistance Research Centre, which is investigating the archives of the Soviet security police. "The exact number is hard to tell, but there might be about ten [recognizable names], mostly cultural figures," the center’s director Teresė Birutė Burauskaitė has told LRT. "I suspect that they were included into the [KGB] register for some reason. Maybe to compromise them or to make use of them, since they were people with some influence in the society. “The Genocide and Resistance Research Centre has been investigating KGB archives in Lithuania and publishing lists of people who were recruited as agents of the Soviet security police. It is believed that over a thousand recruited agents operated in Lithuania between 1940 and 1990. en.delfi.lt/culture/lithuania-remembers-soviet-deportations-on-day-of-mourning-and-hope.d?id=71545958

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THE KOSSUTH COLONY Continued from may

By Stanley R. Cichanowicz University of Dayton, December 3, 1963

CHAPTER III The Establishment of the Kossuth Colony

On August 5, 1905, the Dayton Realty Company was formed by Jacob Moskowitz for the purpose of establishing the Kossuth Colony. He himself provided the capital for the formation of the company. It being necessary that the Colony be located close to the Car Works, fourteen acres of ground were selected on Leo Street in North Dayton. After the site was chosen, work began almost immediately, so that by the summer of 1906, a small miniature city had suddenly appeared just north of the Dayton City Limits. It extended east to west from Troy Street to Baltimore Avenue, and south to north from Leo Street for the length of two city squares.

The land was laid out in streets the same as an ordinary town or village, two streets a square long running each way. Some forty houses were built, each at a cost of approximately $800. Each house was a double, each side consisting of five rooms. All the homes were constructed and painted alike. Each house was separated by a fence and each dwelling had a coal shed located in the rear. A hole was cut in the fence and a water hydrant was centered in the hole; the hydrant provided water for both families. The streets were unpaved and there were no sidewalks; and of course, “outside plumbing” was the rule for the day. Other than the houses, the only other building inside the Colony was a large two-story structure which was located at the Colony’s entrance. Built at a cost of $35,000, the building served as the social and economic center of the Colony. It occupied a whole city block and situated within it were various kinds of stores and offices. Because of its uniqueness, a separate section will be devoted to the description of this building.

The Clubhouse. The building itself was known as “The Clubhouse.” As was mentioned the preceding paragraph, within this building were located stores and offices of all sorts.

There was a model clothing and dry goods store from were clothing and general household items could be bought. There was a grocery which was possible larger than any found in the city of Dayton. It was equipped with the most modern conveniences and was kept immaculate in appearance by the owner. The hard-wooden floors were kept well oiled, the counters were tiled and such a unique innovation as electric fans was present to keep the customers cool during the hot summer months. Also located in the building were the business offices of Mr. Moskowitz. At the entrance of the offices were two windows through which checks were cashed, business transactions were carried on through which grievances could be presented to the proprietor of the Colony. Within his offices, Jacob Moskowitz ran a bank where deposits could be made, the

money being transferred once a week to a Dayton bank for safe keeping. Also located in the network of his offices was a post-office, where out-going mail was received and from where incoming-mail was distributed. A bell would be rung at seven o’clock in the evening and the people would come and receive their mail. A ticket office was also part of the complex operations of Mr. Moskowitz. Colonists, if they had relatives in Europe who desired to come to the U.S., could purchase steamship tickets from the office and then mail them back overseas. The tickets were good on the Cunard Steamship Lines.

Another unique feature of the building was a huge cooling system which furnished cold air for the meat counters and for the beer vaults. This was an ultramodern innovation for the time; for in most all other Dayton stores and taverns, perishable goods were still being cooled by direct contact with ice. But in the Colony, the meats and beer were cooled by cold air which was piped into the counters on the first floor from the cooling system located in the basement.

On the west side of the building was located the most interesting feature of all, a huge beerhall which featured a bar seventy feet long with ten-foot elbows at each end. The bar was one of the largest in Ohio. The beerhall itself could accommodate as many as five hundred persons at one time, with two hundred persons capable of standing around the bar. At the bar, a dozen kegs of beer could be tapped at once, this being quite unique, for the largest saloon in Dayton could only tap four kegs simultaneously. Situated throughout the rest of the hall were tables and chairs, where the patrons could sit and enjoy their favorite beverage. Also, in the hall were numerous pool tables along with blackboards on the walls upon which the players kept the scores of the games. A bowling alley was a feature which was added onto the Clubhouse a few years after the Colony was originally built, the exact date not being known.

The Fence. The most striking aspect of Jacob Moskowitz’s miniature city was a twelve-foot-high wooden fence which surrounded the Colony. The only entrance to the Colony was located at what is now Notre Dame Avenue and Leo Street. At the entrance was situated a Watchman’s Shack and a large sign, on which was written in English: “NOTICE: Public Welcome to Visit This Colony at All Times.” Because of the fence, the Colony soon was referred to by outsiders as “The Stockade.”

Filling the Colony. When the Colony opened in 1906, Jacob Moskowitz had no trouble in filling it. By advertising in Hungarian newspapers throughout the East Coast, and, by employing labor promoters in cities with large Hungarian settlements, he was able to nearly fill the Colony by the end of the first year. Workers, when contacted, were told of the good living conditions in the Colony and were also told of the good working conditions at the Car Works, one condition being that of a six-day working week. Many of the Hungarian laborers came to Dayton by rail, with their tickets being paid for by Mr. Moskowitz; while others,

23

having been told of the Colony by friends, came to Dayton on their own.

The Rules of the Colony. Certain rules were established by Mr. Moskowitz which all the inhabitants of the Colony were expected to follow. The first rule was that all the workers in the Colony had to be employed at the Barney and Smith Car Works. No one could work in any other factory and live inside the Colony. This rule was established to assure that the Car Works had its stable supply of labor, this being the very purpose for which the Colony was founded. If a person was fired from the Car Works, he was automatically evicted from the Colony.

The second rule was that the inhabitants were required to make all their purchases, except for furniture and other miscellaneous items from the store which Mr. Moskowitz operated inside the Colony. Anyone caught buying goods outside the Colony without the authorization of Mr. Markowitz was automatically evicted. Also, anyone evicted from the Colony automatically lost his job at the Car Works.

The last rule of the Colony was that the inhabitants were required to use brass script money, issued by Mr. Moskowitz, as the medium of exchange inside the Colony. Each payday, the workers would exchange a certain portion of their pay into brass script, which was then used for making purchases inside the Colony. CHAPTER IV LIFE INSIDE THE COLONY

The Boarders. When the Hungarians arrived in Dayton in the summer of 1906, most of them had nothing more than a single trunk containing all their life possessions. They came to Dayton on a promise, a promise made to them by a total stranger, that they would find in the Kossuth Colony a life a little better than the one they had had from where they had come. And, the Hungarians did find life a little better in the Colony, although it was not the proverbial city with its streets of gold; for life was hard in the Colony.

Almost without exception, each house accommodated from five to ten boarders. The charge for room and board was $8.00 to $10.00 a month, with the board being due the first of each month. This entitled the boarder to lodging, food and to have his clothes washed and ironed. Such a houseful of people kept the landlady busy. Much of her time was spent in caring for the rooms and in doing the wash. Using just a scrub board, the landlady washed all the clothes by hand. Also, the hard-wooden floors had to be scrubbed once a week and the rooms of the boarders constantly had to be kept clean. The meals had to be ready on time and it was up to the landlady to see to it that each boarder received his due portion of meat and vegetables at each meal. To assure this fact, the meat was sliced in one-half pound portions when it was purchased at the store. Thus, every man received an equal share. If the women had any time left during

the day, they could be found gossiping across the backyard fence, a custom which seems to be international in practice. Or, if it were winter, the women would go over in groups to the nearby Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Tracks, pails in hand, to gather loose coal which had fallen from the passing coal cars; for coal was an expensive commodity in those days.

At the Car Works, the men put in a full day’s work. They left for work at around six or six-fifteen in the morning. They did not ride a streetcar, but in groups, they walked the short mile from the Colony to the Car Works. It was indeed a strange sight to see this small army of men trudging down Troy Street in the morning and again in the afternoon. One individual, who operated a clothing store in North Dayton, stated that “the men looked like a flock of geese trailing by my store in the evening.” As laborers at the Car Works, the men were paid approximately $1.50 per day and worked around fifty-five house a week. Their weekly wage was a little under the national average wage for lower-skilled factory help, which was $10.65 per week.

After work, the men would generally congregate in the Clubhouse for a glass of beer. A peculiar thing connected with the men’s drinking was the fact that there was no treating. Each man purchased what he wanted and then carried his drink to a table in the room. There he would sip his drink and enjoy his pipe. Then, as they arrived home, the men cleaned up and usually put on a highly colored undershirt. The heavy shoes were discarded for slippers and then supper was eaten. Hungarian papers were read aloud after the meal, and the men would then spend a peaceful evening among themselves.

Little Hungary. Often, the Colony was referred to by outsiders as “Little Hungary.” Indeed, this was an appropriate title for the Colony, for the language of the Colony was Hungarian. And, Hungarian traditions and customs were adhered to just as strongly as they had been in the “Old Country.” On Christmas Eve, a group of men would come over from the West Side Colony. Dressed as shepherds and magi, the men would carry on their shoulders a small Nativity Scene. Inside the Kossuth Colony, they would go from house to house, singing Hungarian Christmas Carols and receiving donations which would then be turned over to the Church. Afterwards, the families would settle down for the Christmas Eve meal, which consisted of sih, sauerkraut, soup, noodles and a wide assortment of nuts and fruits. During the meal, a blessed wafer was passed around the table, with each person breaking off a small portion and then passing it on, this “sharing of bread’ being a sign of brotherhood and love among all men during the Christmas Season. [Lithuanians and Polish have this tradition too.]

On Easter Sunday, the families would attend the early Sunrise Mass. Before the Mass began, each family would have its own basket of food blessed; afterwards, the food would comprise the Easter Breakfast. The Monday following Easter was just as much a part of the Easter celebration as was Easter Sunday itself. In fact, the day was held in such esteem that the Car

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Works did not require the Hungarians to report to work. One inhabitant stated that in the 1920’s, after Barney and Smith was out of business and a large number of the men of the Colony were employed at the Duriron Corporation, the Duriron Company had to close its plant on Easter Monday because none of the Colonists reported to work, despite the refusal by the Company to excuse the men from work that day.

Weddings especially illustrated the rich traditions which were adhered to in the Colony. On the Sunday prior to the wedding, the bride-to-be would give each of her bridesmaid a long white ribbon. The bridesmaid would then take the ribbon and pin it on the man she wanted to accompany her to the wedding. Also, during the week before the wedding, the appointed ushers went to the homes of the persons who were to be invited to the reception and recited a formal invitation. On the Saturday of the wedding, before going to the ceremony, the wedding party congregated in the home of the bride. There, the best man recited a farewell speech to the family of the bride, in which he thanked the parents and brothers and sisters of the bride for having raised such a fine woman. By the end of the speech, the bride was sobbing in happy grief and the wedding party was ready to start. Accompanied by a band, the wedding party walked down the streets of the Colony to the Church, where the ceremony took place. After the Mass, the party then returned for breakfast, then had their pictures taken, and then, the wedding party went to the Clubhouse where a reception was held. No gifts were given to the bride and groom, only money. The newly married couple also received money by means of the “bridal dance,” a custom whereby the men at the reception gladly paid for the privilege of dancing with the bride.

Education. When the Colony was originally started, roughly only twenty percent of the inhabitants could speak English. Some tried to learn the language on their own, while others attended classes in English, which were sponsored by the Dayton YMCA at Webster School. But, most of the inhabitants did not acquire a working knowledge of the language for many

years. There was little need for them to learn English, for Hungarian was the language of the Colony and the people spent most of their time inside the compound. Consequently, most of the children could not speak English when they started into grade school. This posed some difficulty, for no special Hungarian teachers were hired to teach the children. The students who could understand English helped the other students along until they acquired a working knowledge of the language. The schools that the children attended were Allen-Sub School, located at Troy and Leo Streets, and then later, some went to Our Lady of the Rosary School.

The Spiritual Needs of the Colonists. The vast majority of the Colony’s inhabitants were members of the Roman Catholic Faith. When the colony was first established, the spiritual needs of the people were taken care of by Father Frohmiller of Our Lady of the Rosary Parish, which was located nearby. Father Frohmiller could speak broken Hungarian as well as several other languages. After 1909, the people were cared for by the pastor of Holy Name Parish, a church founded specifically to care for the large number of Hungarian Catholics who still resided in the West Side Colony. The priest came to the Colony for weddings and funerals; and of course, he came every Sunday to hear Confessions and to say Mass. The religious services were held in a church which Mr. Moskowitz had donated to the Colony. The building was just a house with the center partition taken out; but it served the purpose.

Medical Needs. If any of the Colony’s inhabitants needed medical attention, Mr. Moskowitz would contact a doctor to come to the Colony. Of course, as was the practice at the time, birth was by midwife. Entertainment. For entertainment, the inhabitants were satisfied with the simpler things of life. Most of their free time was spend with their children, with picnics sometimes being held on Sundays. Lecturers were brought into the Colony along with plays presented in the Hungarian language. Also, on some weekends, dances were held in the clubhouse. Police and Fire Protection. When initially constructed in 1906, the Colony was outside the city limits. Consequently, the Colony was policed by Mr. Moskowitz’s own guards. But even though the Colony was not annexed to the City of Dayton until September 13, 1909, the Colony did enjoy fire protection provided by the Dayton Fire Department, the city being paid so much for installing fire hydrants and piping city water inside the Colony.

CHAPTER V THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE KOSSUTH COLONISTS AND JACOB D. MOSKOWITZ The relationship that existed between Mr. Markowitz and the inhabitants of the Colony is hard to describe. At best, it could be called paternal. It is a type of relationship that is difficult to

25

transcribe from feeling to mind penning to paper. Every time this author interviews a one-time inhabitant of the Colony and discussed Jacob Moskowitz, he could denote a sort of special reverence and respect which each person had set aside for the manager of the Kossuth Colony. Jacob Moskowitz was literally like a father to the Colonists, caring for them, advising them but quick to punish them if any of his rules were broken.

It is a fact that persons were evicted from the Colony for making unauthorized purchases from stores outside the Colony. Guards often searched boys who were suspected of bringing unauthorized purchases into the Colony. One inhabitant related her own personal experience to the author:

“It was in 1910. I was outside the Colony for some reason and I decided to buy some cabbage. I bought it and was coming back into the Colony when I noticed that Mr. Moskowitz was looking at me. He followed me home and when I got there, he asked me what I had in the bag. When I didn’t answer, he opened the bag and put the cabbage on the table. He didn’t say anything but just walked away. Then, my husband came home from work that night and told me that he lost his job at the Car Works and that we had to leave the colony. The next day we left the Colony.”

But then, on the other hand, Jacob Moskowitz was a man whom the people trusted. He was the adviser to and the spokesman for the Colonists. If any person would be arrested by the Dayton Police, Mr. Moskowitz would act as the defendant’s lawyer and would put up any necessary bond, the money then being repaid to him by the offender later, interest free.That Jacob Moskowitz was not just a greedy businessman is illustrated by the fact that no person was ever evicted from the Colony when he was laid off from work and thus was unable to make the rental payments on his home. The person had only to present a note from the factory, stating that he was laid off, and then the person could receive his rent and food on credit until such time when he could pay for it. Enough respect was held by the people for Mr. Moskowitz that he was always invited to the weddings and celebrations that took place inside the Colony. And then, even long after the fence had come down and Mr. Moskowitz had sold all his holdings in the Colony, his old friends would come out to see him and they would discuss old times.

But Why the Fence? The first impression would lead one to believe that the fence was built to keep the inhabitants of the Colony inside and to force them to buy from the stores of Jacob Moskowitz. But it is this author’s contention that the fence was intended not so much to keep the Colonists in, but to keep other certain parties out. Mr. Moskowitz, later in 1938, gave his reasons for building the Colony and for fencing it in:

The Colony was established to meet a strange labor condition of the day. There was an extreme scarcity of labor and the Barney and Smith Car Shop had received orders for the then new steel cars, totaling many millions of dollars. Laborers and artisans necessary to fashion these cars were brought here but hired away by some competing concern, or some other industry. In order to break up this practice, everything the men and their families required was put within the enclosure, then known as the Stockade. Guards maintained by the Colony were at the gates and no one could enter the Colony except the residents, this being done to keep out labor racketeers of the day, who would entice workers away.

Research done by this author seems to uphold Mr. Moskowitz’s claim. There was a shortage of labor at the time (as was noted in Chapter I), and it only seems natural that other companies would attempt to entice workers away from the Colony if given the opportunity, using the same tactics that Mr. Moskowitz himself had used to bring the original inhabitants to the Colony. Adding to the weight of the above argument is the testimony given by a man who was not in Dayton at the time the Colony was established, but who was employed as a labor agent for the Pocahontas Coal Company during that era. When this author posed the question of why he thought the Colony was fenced in, he answered, without knowledge of Mr. Moskowitz’s 1938 statement that most probably it was done to contain the common practice of raiding done by one company upon another, a practice whereby workers were baited to leave one company in preference to another. He stated that he himself was constantly confronted with this problem while employed for Pocahontas Coal.

The fact that Mr. Moskowitz used the fence to help enforce his “buying regulations’ cannot be denied. The fence, with its guards, made it easy to check up on the Colonists as they entered the Colony. But it must be remembered that the Colony represented an investment of nearly $100,000; and, Jacob, Moskowitz was out to protect that investment.It could not be determined just exactly why brass script money was used as the medium of exchange in the Colony; but more than likely, it also represented an attempt to restrict the purchasing activities of the Colonists, for the money had no monetary value at all outside the Colony.

Continued Next month…

3rd installment

CHAPTER VI PUBLIC REACTION TO THE COLONY

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The Knights of Lithuania Scholarship

The Knights of Lithuania Scholarship Program is intended to help a worthy and deserving Knight obtain a college education. Applicants must be a member of the organization for

at least two years in order to be eligible to apply for a scholarship award, which is verified with the National

Financial Secretary. The Scholarship Program is intended to be a stimulus for young Lithuanian Americans to join and be active in our organization. Service to the Knights of Lithuania organization is of prime importance to be considered for this award. Scholarships are awarded annually and are paid to the recipients in two installments. Applications must be complete (e.g., photo, transcript, recommendations, etc.) to be considered by the Scholarship Committee.

PLEASE NOTE: 1. Applicants may apply for a scholarship more than once; however, an applicant may only be awarded a

scholarship twice. 2. There are various scholarships available with individual amounts decided upon by vote of the Scholarship

Committee each year. 3. Each applicant is responsible for completing the application and securing entrance to the college of his/her

choice. If the recipient of an award drops out of college, or if his/her academic standing becomes unsatisfactory to the college, the unexpended balance of the award may be forfeited at the discretion of the Scholarship Committee.

4. Scholarship awards may be made to a person for undergraduate or graduate work. There is no age limitation. Organizational activity within the Knights of Lithuania is one of the most important criteria for obtaining a scholarship along with the following requirements and stipulations:

An applicant will be scored based on recommendations made by his/her

1) Council President or Council 3rd Vice President; 2) Spiritual Advisor or Pastor; 3) Former Teacher; 4) Character Reference.

Applicants will be evaluated based on their scholastic records, financial need, and most importantly, Knights of Lithuania involvement. The Scholarship Committee will carefully study the applications. Decisions of the committee are final. Recipients of the Scholarship Awards will be announced at the next National Convention of the Knights of Lithuania.

Application must be received by July 1, 2019 Any late applications will not be considered

For the official and complete application go to the Knights of Lithuania scholarship application site and complete the application form.

2019-2020 Scholarship Application

http://knightsoflithuania.com/scholarship/

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Knights of Lithuania Supreme Council

Scholarship Application Instruction Guide

Membership application at end of this newsletter…must be a member 2 years!

Applicant Information: 01. Be sure to include your name, date of birth, gender, address, and contact information.

The form will expand as you type in your information. 02. Please provide your council and parish information and indicate whether you have Lithuanian heritage. 03. List the college or university that you will be attending and the location as well as all fees associated with your

tuition expenses. 04. Indicate all scholarships and awards that are anticipated.

Also indicate if you have been awarded a K of L scholarship in the past, the amount and year. 05. Note your employer information and provide salary details as requested. 06. List high school(s) and address information as well as degree program studied.

Background Information: 07. Please list military experience and provide rank and duties. 08. Provide references: Council President, Spiritual advisor / Priest, Teacher and a non-family member. 09. Hobbies 10. Knights of Lithuania participatory activities and positions held. 11. Professional Memberships 12. Please write a brief essay of your career plans indicating your area of study and any other pertinent character

information you feel would help the committee in determining awards. 13. Understand that signing this document the information furnished is true and correct and provide your signature

indicating this.

Check List: 14. It is imperative to confirm that each and all the application materials are contained prior to submission and that all

materials be furnished together. LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION: Please give the certificate to the appropriate reference. They should sign and date the certificate for tracking purposes and submit a signed and sealed letter of recommendation to the applicant to be formally submitted with the application prior to the deadline of July 1st, 2019.

SUBMISSION: Submissions ONLY accepted by US Mail, and all application requirements must be received in a single submission.

Important things to remember:

It is imperative the scholarship applicant be involved in the Knights of Lithuania activities so…

1. Participate regularly in meetings

2. Participate in Knights of Lithuania’s sponsored activities such as Lithuanian Independence Day,

St. Casimir’s Day, Palm Sunday breakfast, Mother’s Day, Cemetery Visits, Fall No-bake bake-sale,

and Christmas Caroling

3. Participate in Lithuanian church activities like St. Casimir’s mass, Easter mass and Midnight mass.

4. Attend District meetings and National conventions

5. Participate in a Lithuanian dance group, language classes, or cooking class.

6. Write an article for the IRON WOLF newsletter or Vytis and submit for publication.

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Fall 2019 Mid-America District Pilgrimage

This fall the Mid-America District will be heading north for our annual District Pilgrimage. Council 102 – Detroit, MI has agreed to be our host. A preliminary program was announced by Regina Juska-Svoba, HM, Council President, National President, during our Winter District Meeting.

The pilgrimage is scheduled for Friday-Sunday, September 27-29, 2019 in the metro Detroit area. Members will arrive on Friday, Sept. 27, 2019 in the late afternoon at their hotel, check-in and relax. A bus will be arranged for from Chicago. On Saturday, September 28, 2019, after breakfast, the group will travel to the Solanus Casey Center for the pilgrimage and lunch. Father Solanus Casey was a Capuchin Monk who was recently beatified on 11/18/2017. After lunch we will take a short scenic ride through the “Heidelberg Project” before proceeding to Frankenmuth, MI, to visit: Bronner’s Christmas Store and the “Silent Night, Holy Night Chapel”, take in a self-guided walking tour of downtown Frankenmuth and finish with dinner at Zehnder’s before returning to the hotel. On Sunday, September 29, 2019, after breakfast and hotel checkout the

group will travel to Divine Providence Church for Mass and the presentation of Sr. Mercedes SSC’s painting, “The Red Madonna” to the church. Following Mass lunch will be served at the parish. Afterwards, the bus will return to the Chicago area. The bus will depart from St. Pius Church at 9:30am, members can leave their cars in the parish lot. There will be no charge to members for the bus thanks to the Mid-America District Institute.

The cost of the pilgrimage will be $75.00 per person. This will cover the cost of the visit to the Solanus Casey Center, lunch there, Zehnder’s famous chicken dinner in Frankenmuth, as well as snacks and refreshments on the bus throughout the weekend. Reservations and payment for the pilgrimage should be sent to Bob Damasauskas using the form below.

ATTENDEES ARE REQUIRED TO MAKE THEIR OWN HOTEL RESERVATIONS at 1.248.585.8881 or on line at hamptoninn3.hilton.com. We have reserved 15 rooms at the Hampton Inn Detroit/Madison Heights/South Troy 32420 Stephenson Highway; Madison Heights, MI 48071. Our Group Code: 600 should be given when making your reservation. The rate is $99.00 per night plus tax. All reservations must be made by September 1, 2019 to insure this rate.

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Knights of Lithuania Council # 96 * Condolence Report If there are any changes to the birthday list and/or other cards to be sent,

please email those changes and requests to me at jgoecke@bgcgc.org .

THANKS – Julia Goeke

Jim Geiger – thinking of you

Jerome Scott – birthday Henry Pant – birthday

Gary Thiele – birthday Andrew Berczelly – birthday

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Children’s Pages……. FAMILY CUSTOMS. Deep changes in the life of rural localities, the resettlement of farmers, particularly their

movement to the cities, have changed the traditional family customs quite considerably. Customs related to the christening of a child have disappeared almost completely. Wedding customs have been preserved a little better, whereas funeral traditions have survived best of all.

Weddings. A hundred or fifty years ago

the wedding season - autumn and winter - used to bring a lot of joy to Lithuanian villages. Girls used to begin their preparations for marriage in their early teens. They span and wove linen and wool for presents, for herself and for her future husband and children. After the ostensibly playful but rather tough negotiations over the bride's dowry, the family drank the bottle of wine brought by the prospective son-in-law, which the bride adorned with a wreath of rūta, and the preparations for the wedding started. If the bride changed her mind, the bottle had to be reimbursed.

After the bans in the church, the bride never appeared publicly alone, even in church she prayed surrounded by her friends. A few days before the wedding both the bride's and the bridegroom's

families sent out messengers who invited relatives and neighbors to the wedding party. Up until World War I in some regions, for example among Zemaitians, Suvalkians, Dzukians and Prussian Lithuanians, this messenger used to be the main figure all through the wedding. In Zemaitija and Aukštaitija guests were invited to the wedding party by the bride and bridegroom or their parents. The wedding messenger was usually a witty and eloquent man from among the relatives or good friends. He was given a two or three branched stick with a ribbon and a bell (more rarely, silver rings) tied to it. He wore his best clothes and a hat with a white band. His horse was decorated with a flower fixed in the harness near its ear.

To maintain his dignity the wedding messenger never went deep into the house. He stopped at the threshold, rang his bell and started his speech. He addressed both the grown-ups and the children. If there were any young people in the family, his speech was longer. It was always full of witticisms and humor. After saying on whose behalf he was speaking, where the wedding was going to take place and how long it would last, the messenger went on to describe the future wedding in some such way: "Mr. Zambrozitas is no beggar, he has always been rather well off. Before I left, he had killed five oxen and now he has a mountain of meat. We invite you to partake of a hen's leg and a tit's liver. If you feel it is not enough, we have two sparrows which are being fattened. When they are fried, everyone will be satisfied..." Or: "Please come, but don't rely entirely on us, bring some food for yourself, for you may or may not find enough food in our house. If you bring no- thing, you'll have to go home hungry," The messenger used to deliver his speech with his hat on and said hello at the end of his speech because he was afraid, he might laugh in the middle of his speech. When the invitation was accepted, young girls gave presents - ribbons, sashes, handkerchiefs, mufflers, which they used to hang on his stick.

The speeches of all wedding messengers were similar, differences concerned mainly the way they were delivered. In the 19th century wedding parties lasted four days. They used to start on Tuesday when the bride said goodbye to her flower garden, to her parents, neighbors and friends and asked them to forgive her if she had ever hurt them by word or by deed. The other important figures of the wedding were the match maker, matron of honor and dowry carriers.

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The parents used to procure dowry chests for their daughters well in advance. Dowry chests were often made of the wood of a tree inhabited by storks, for storks were believed to bring luck and babies. The bride kept a lot of things in her dowry chests - her jewelry, documents, letters, money, her rūta wreath, dresses for her future first-born, candles, medicinal herbs and, of course, her linen. The number, size, and beauty of her dowry chests were the indication of the bride's wealth, taste and industry. Thus, in the Lithuanian tradition dowry chests have become veritable objects of art.

Dowry carriers wore hats and towels tied across their shoulders. The relatives of the bride sat on the dowry chests and pretended they were unwilling to give them away. To make the chests heavier they sometimes put stones inside them. The dowry carriers tried to fetch as many things from the bride's home as possible. They "stole" household utensils, hens and some other small things. Usually they returned those things later, but sometimes they did not.

Only a small part of the wedding traditions has survived to the present day. Some traditions have been simplified quite considerably. Nowadays the bride says good-bye to her parents and family on the morning of the wedding day. The cars in which the wedding party leaves are adorned with flowers and ribbons. After the wedding in church or in the Registrar's Office the wedding party's way home is often barred and roped with garlands of flowers. The match maker and the bridegroom's friends must buy out their passage with sweets and a bottle of whiskey. The last garland is usually stretched across the gate of her home. The parents meet the newlyweds at the threshold with bread and salt and wine glasses of pure water. While coming back from church, the wedding party usually gives out sweets to children all along their way.

Inside the house the wedding party usually finds the seats at the table occupied by neighbors, "gypsies", another bride who is a man in disguise, and another bridegroom who is a woman. Both groups start haggling over the price of the seats and in the end, after much banter and laughter; the seats are sold for a bottle of whiskey. The backs of the bride's and bridegroom's chairs are adorned with wreaths of flowers & rūta. On trying the first bite of food the guests find it bitter and start singing the traditional song: "Bitter, bitter is the food. It will be sweet when the bridegroom kisses the bride". Then there is lot of funny instructions to the bridegroom how to do it better. A very important part is played in the wedding by the matron of honor who is usually a married woman, closely related to the bride. In church she and her partner stand next to the bride and bridegroom. She is usually responsible for the meal on the last day of the wedding. The duties of the master of ceremonies used to be performed by the wedding messenger, but now he has been replaced in this function by the match maker or the matron of honor’s partner.

At present one of the funniest moments during a wedding party is the execution of the match maker. Toward the end of the wedding party the bride's relatives come to realize that their sister has been taken in by the promises of the match maker. Having proved that his description of the bridegroom's possessions was highly exaggerated they decide to hang the match maker. Sometimes he is sentenced to death by burning him in water, by freezing on the stove or by sending him to sleep in a hay loft with all the girls of the neighborhood. The match maker asks to be allowed to say goodbye to his friends. Then he smears his face with soot and tries to kiss every woman in the house. The wittier is the match maker; the funnier is his "execution". At last the bride or her mother takes pity on the poor man and as a sign of her forgiveness she throws a towel across his shoulder. The match maker is saved, and the merry guests hang a dummy match maker instead. Another merry wedding tradition is the handing over of the bride's rue wreath to the chief bride girl. A lot of merriment is also created by musicians. Now people, especially those who are members of all sorts of ethnographic groups, are trying to revive as many ancient wedding traditions as possible. It is customary nowadays for a wedding party to last two days.

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Rūta VILNIUS - Lithuania is renowned for many things: its sporting prowess, its cutting-

edge theater, its outstanding beer and so the list goes on. But not so long ago, at the beginning of the 20th century, one of the country's most iconic and widely used symbols was rūta.

Rūta - a perennial plant with a strong, heavy odor and bitter taste 's

could be found in almost every Lithuanian garden. Rich with folklore and symbolism, the flower was widely seen as the embodiment of Lithuanian culture. Over the last few decades, however, rūta has nearly disappeared, used only in traditional wedding ceremonies. It wasn't until recently that the plant once again became part of Lithuanian life. At the beginning of the 20th century, when Lithuania was dominantly agrarian, rūta was used during many important social ceremonies, such as baptisms, first communions, marriages and sometimes funerals. As a symbol of purity, the flower represented the rites of passage in a young person's life.

Gardens with common rūta (Latin: ruta graveolens, Lithuanian: rūta) flowers are so widespread in Lithuania that the common rūta may as well be considered the national flower of Lithuania. Rūta, however, is not a native plant in Lithuania. It was dedicated to the Virgin Mary by the Roman Catholic Church in the 9th century. Catholic missionaries grew it in their own gardens and brought it to Lithuania in the late Middle Ages. Rūta is a hardy plant and is easy to propagate even in poor soils. Possibly because of its strong fragrance, people ascribed medicinal and even magical powers to the rue: protection from spells, "evil eye", snake venom, and other evils in the middle ages - and to help ward off the plague. Glands distributed over the entire plant contain a volatile oil that accounts for both the unusual smell and the bitter taste of the herb. The oil has the power of photosensitizing the skin of some people, causing small water blisters to break out-not unlike a poison ivy rash. You may find the rūta herb in biblical or historical gardens. It has a colorful history.

The genus name, Ruta, comes from the Greek “reuo” meaning to set free, which suggests the herb’s reputation in treating disease. The Roman naturalist and writer Pliny tell us that carvers, painters, and engravers ingested rūta to improve their eyesight. The plant was also used for many centuries as an antidote to poisons and insect bites. King Mithradates of Asia Minor apparently ate rūta to immunize himself against being poisoned by enemies, taking the herb in gradually increasing doses. However, this scheme backfired when he attempted suicide by poisoning himself and failed. (In the end, he persuaded a slave to stab him) Rūta has been used externally to treat insect bites, gout, rheumatism, and sciatica and internally to treat nervous heart problems, hysteria, worms, gas pains, colic, and to improve appetite and digestion. To treat epilepsy, a bouquet of the herb was hung around the neck of the sufferer.

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During the 16th and 17th centuries, rūta was scattered the benches and floors of courtrooms, judges carried branches of it to guard against “jail fever”. The ceremonial bouquets still presented to British judges in this country are a carryover of the tradition. Long symbol of sorrow and repentance, rūta may have been nicknamed the “herb of grace” in Christian times for the grace given by God following repentance for one’s sins. Brushes made of the plant were used to sprinkle holy water before a Roman Catholic High Mass. Rūta even played a hand in the design of playing cards-it was used as an early model for the suit of clubs.

Botanical Highlights. Rūta isn’t often grown in ornamental gardens, but it’s unusual blue-green foliage makes it a standout in herb gardens. And, while not spectacular, their muted yellow blooms are certainly pretty. It also grows well in a container, indoors or outside.

Companion planting. Tradition has it that rūta should never be planted near basil, sage, or cabbage. Some gardeners recommend planting it with roses. No scientific evidence exists to support any claims for rūta’s effects.

Cultivation. Rūta is grown in many herb gardens for its historical interest as well as striking blue-green foliage. The herb is easily propagated by either seed, cuttings, or division. Supposedly, the rūta stolen from a neighbor’s garden will thrive the best! If planting seeds, start them indoors in February for May transplanting. The starts should be about 2 inches high before they are moved outdoors. Plant in full sun, well drained, not-too-rich soil. Rūta makes an attractive potted plant, on a windowsill in ordinary potting soil.

Pest & diseases. Root fungal problems may occur in areas with warmer climates, prevent by providing good drainage.

Harvesting and storage. Rūta can be harvested several times a year. After first cutting, top-dress the plants with good compost to stimulate new growth. Harvest the leaves before the flowers form. Dry them in the shade and store in airtight container.

Growing Conditions. Plant hardiness zones 4-9, soil pH 7.0, well drained clay loam soil, full sun.

One Last Story... Vinegar of the Four Thieves During the Great Plague of London in 1665, as many as 7,000 people were dying each week. In this plague, as in others that swept Europe, herbs were used in unending combinations and applications to cure the infected, as well as to ward off the disease. But no one knew with any certainty what was causing the disease, now how to avoid it other than by avoiding contact with the dead or dying. A red cross was painted on the doors of homes where a plague death had occurred, providing a warning to the wary and a signal to the unscrupulous. Among the latter was a small band of thieves, who, fortified (at least in their own minds) by drafts of an herbal vinegar, stole from corpses. Rūta was the primary ingredient. Mixed into a gallon of red wine vinegar were 1 ½ ounce each of rūta, sage, mint, wormwood, and rosemary; 2 ounces of lavender flowers; ½ ounce of camphor; and ¼ ounce each of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, garlic, and Calamus aromaticus.

Information for this article from Rodale’s Illustrated Enclopedia of Herbs Greene County Master Gardener Vol. Biblical Garden Rue Plant: Lithuanian Traditional

Submitted by C96 member Victoria Zilinkas Carter

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Ingrida Bublys inducted into

Cleveland International Hall of Fame

Ingrida Bublys is the Honorary General

Consul of the Republic of Lithuania for the

states of Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky for

the past 22 years promoting friendly

relations between Lithuania and United

States. She has established good relations

with city and state officials, educational

institutions and US corporations. On April

16, 2019 Ingrida Bublys was inducted into

the Cleveland International Hall of Fame

by Alex Machaskee, former Plain Dealer

Publisher.

Alex Machaskee inducts Ingrida Bublys Ingrida Bublys gives her acceptance speech

Saint Pope John Paul II bust dedication – May 18, 2019

A statue of Saint John Paul II was dedicated on May 18,

2019 in the Polish Cultural Garden in Cleveland, Ohio.

Dignitaries including Cleveland City Council President Kevin

Kelley and Councilman Tony Brancatelli spoke as did the

world-renowned sculptor of the bust, Andrzej Pitynski.

Bishop Roger Gries and Father Jerzy Kusy blessed the new

addition to the Garden.

Opera singer Dorota Sobieska performed as did the PIAST

Polish dance ensemble.

Gene Bak

http://www.clevelandpeople.com

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15 Tornados touched ground in the Dayton area in the late evening of Memorial Day,

and were spotted in several counties, as live scanner audio captured unfolding search and rescues, with rescuers reporting demolished houses and businesses and trapped people. In the morning, Montgomery County announced there were widespread power outages

but no fatalities and released this map of affected areas. A death was reported in Mercer County, near Celina, after a car went into an elderly person’s home. “You can definitely see the path of the tornado…there is extensive property damage, residences, businesses, trees uprooted, power outages, gas. It’s pretty extensive,” the Montgomery County sheriff, Rob Streck, said on NBC. He said there had been no serious injuries, calling that “amazing when you see the amount of damage that was done.” He said secondary search teams were going out to look inside houses, however. “There are some rural areas that were affected.” He mentioned Trotwood and Brookville. In a press conference, authorities indicated there were three minor

injuries. Areas around Dayton, in Montgomery County, saw some of the worst damage. "We are focused on supporting life-saving measures, such as shutting down gas lines or locating people who are trapped by debris." Dayton Fire Chief Jeffrey Payne said no fatalities and a few minor injuries were reported. Considering the amount of property damage, that was "pretty miraculous," he said. Urban Search and Rescue teams from Columbus and Cincinnati helped first responders pick through rubble in search of survivors, Payne said. Five miles north of Dayton, Harrison Township Fire Chief Mark Lynch and his crews worked to rescue people trapped in houses and cars. "Devastation. World War III. It's tough," Lynch said. "It's going to be several years of rebuilding, I'm sure."

Neighborhood between North Dixie and I 75N.

Area of Old North Dayton…one of the sectors of major devastation. More than half of the residential area between Valley, Brandt and

Troy Streets, encompassing the homes on Macready, St. Adalbert, Urbana, Paw Paw, Bickmore and others were mostly or totally

destroyed on Memorial Day evening. Holy Cross Church and the streets surround church including Rita, Walters, Leo, Brighton, Notre,

Troy, Deeds, Alton, and others also received damage from the F3 gale force winds. Your editor was part of this life changing experience

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and heard the whistle of the train. I can now understand the PTSD of veterans when they talk of hearing the helicopter sound flying

overhead and what emotions it evokes within them. After the tornado clipped near my home and I emerged from the basement, the “no

sound” was as scary as the sound of the roaring freight train just moments before. Later that same evening a second tornado caution

went out with the BEEP BEEP BEEP on my phone indicating a twister had been spotted…go to the lowest location of your residence…my

weather report said. My heart started pounding… my eyes scanned the area I was in and I thought…is it starting again?

By Tuesday morning, neighbors were already out of their homes helping the less fortunate fellow citizens…are you alright? Who needs water? Can I call someone for you? By Wednesday the Old North Dayton Association had scheduled the neighborhood cleanup and food distribution. By Friday, Amber Rose Restaurant was in distribution of food and water mode, including Annamarie Sluzas Berger and Erin Petkus and other restaurant employees, the City of Dayton Fire Station #8 had water for all hands…Verizon cell charging station for all cell phones and laptops was at the fire station. The City of Dayton also completed a neighborhood walk checking welfare, taking questions and concerns, and distributing important phone numbers. Your editor was part of the crew. By Friday, 5 days later, not only was the water boil advisory was lifted, but some electric had been turned back on. Diane Kavalauskas Magill had cleaned the Shrine of the 3 crosses and by Friday night Michael and Robert Petkus and gang were working to clean up the 6 huge pine trees which fell in the church yard. The Geiger Family including Connie and Jim also were part of the work gang at Holy Cross. Saturday morning was a scheduled area wide city “pitch in as you can” time for the entire neighborhood. As of 8 days from the tornados, parts of the devasted areas still do not have working streetlights or street signals. Pastor Father Tony cancelled mass at both Holy Cross and St. Adalbert churches, both in areas hardest hit by the devastating storms, requesting us to attend Our Lady of Rosary. This also rescheduled our monthly K of L meeting until July 12th following 1030a mass.

A cell tower is bent over in the Northridge area.

Sherwin-Williams on

Stanley Avenue.

Here are additional pictures of the church grounds taken by Molly Haas and MaryAgnes. To see the 100s of Dayton area photos, check out the daytondailynews.com website.

37

Trees down in the church yard. St. John’s Shrine appears OK as does the Shrine of the Three Crosses.

Kettering work crews cleaning up trees on Rita Blvd.

Trees down on Rita and Walters.

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Knights of Lithuania #96 * Dayton, Ohio * Holy Cross Lithuanian RC Church * 1924 Leo St * Dayton, OH 45404

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Roman Catholic Church 1924 Leo Street

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