OUR LADY OF ŠILUVIA LITHUANIAN                   CATHOLIC COMMUNITY

Our Lady of Šiluva Lithuanian Catholic Community

Mass is celebrated on the first Sunday of the month at
3 pm at Mary Immaculate Church
1980 Trafalgar St.  London, ON  N5V 1A2
Phone: 905-277-4320
 

History of Our Lady of  Šiluva Lithuanian

Catholic Community

In 1949, Father Vincent Rudzinskas was the first to minister to the needs of the Lithuanians of London in their own language.  In the early 1950s, Father Francis Jokubaitis briefly ministered to the Lithuanian community and ws in turn succeeded by Father Joseph C. Danielius.  Some 150 Lithuanian families lived in London and during this period, Sunday Mass was celebrated at St. Joseph Church and other London parishes.  Language classes were conducted at St. Peter’s school on Saturdays.  Owing to his advanced years, Father Danielius retired in the early 1960s after serving the London Lithuanian community for more than ten years and the search for his successor began,  Through the efforts of John Butkus Sr, president of the local Lithuanian council, the services of Father Boleslovas Paceviéius were obtained.  He arrived in London on January 18 1964.

Within weeks, Fathtyer Paceviéius convinced the leaders of the Lithuanian community that they should organize into a parish of their own in their own building.  With the willingness of the community to support such a venture, Full agreement was reached on February 14, 1964 and, two days later, Bishop Carter formally founded a Lithuanian national parish with Father Paceviéius as its first pastor (1964-1976),  A week later, the former St. Mark’s Anglican church, located at 1414 Dundas Street East, was acquired for $25000.  The diocese loaned $15000 for its purchase and, within three months, more than $17000 was raised by seventy families together with the help of their neighbours – some who were non-Catholic.  The redesigning of the church’s interior was undertaken by the Toronto architect, Dr. Alfredas Kulpaviéinus, with much of the work being done by the parishioners.  The dedication and first Mass in the renovated building was celebrated on June 14, 1964 (the anniversary of Soviet mass murders and deportations of Lithuanians to Siberia in 1941). The church was named Our Lady of Šiluva in honour of the apparition of Our Lady in 1608 in the village of Šiluva, Lithuania.

The number of families attending Our Lady of Šiluva has decreased owing to deaths and migration, but the parish remains the centre of the Lithuanian Canadian community in London.  The library, museum and community archives are still housed in the parish hall.  The community continues to hold a special meeting on the first Sunday of each month and the London Lithuanian Pensioners Club meets every third Wednesday of the month.  Pašvaisté, the Lithuanian choir still leads the congregation in singing at Sunday morning Mass.  All religious and national festivities are regularly celebrated in the parish hall.  Moreover, the generosity and sacrifices of the community ensures that the large funds necessary to operate the parish are raised,  as it puts into practice the words of the Lithuanian national hymn: “For the benefit of our coutntry and welfare of all the people we must work united and work hard.”
Our Lady of Šiluva was canonically suppressed as a parish, effective June 30, 2007 and established as Our Lady of Šiluva Lithuanian Catholic Community, with Monsignor Jonas (John) Staškevieius as priest/chaplain. 

Sources: "Šiluvos Marijos Parapija Londone 1964-1984". "Šiluvos Marijos Parapija Londone 1964-1989. Our Šiluva Lithuanian Parish, London, Ontario, Canada" (London 1989). Additional information provided by Dana Chainauskas.