Sunday Voice, Catholic newspaper

Šventadieno Balsas (Sunday Voice)

Soon after arrival in Australia it became evident to Lithuanians that a newspaper in their own language was needed, as many did not speak English at the time.

When Father Jatulis arrived in Adelaide there was no Lithuanian church and he would conduct mass in Lithuanian in several Australian churches.  A newspaper would serve to keep parishioners informed.  On 29 March 1953, Father Jatulis began to print a bulletin on a copying machine, the Sunday Voice (Šventadieno Balsas) was born. 

Father Jatulis produced the bulletin until he was recalled to Rome, when the following priest, Father Kungys took up the role.   The editors was always the priest, following Kungys was Kazlauskas, Dauknys, Spurgis.  If they were will or away the task was passed on to Pranas Pušdešris.

Each edition would feature a religious article, thankyous, coming events and notifications.  Some advertisements were used to offset the cost of production.

The bulletin was funded by Lithuanian Caritas Inc which comes from the parishioner’s donations.  For many years two couples Valerija and Bronius Masionis and Petronelė and Antanas Dancevičius would fold and post each paper.

Farewell picnic for Father Jatulis

Picnic at Christies Beach

On a Sunday afternoon on the 25 August 1957,over 400 Lithuanians gathered at the Caritas property at Christies Beach for its first picnic and blessing of the house. Mass was said by Father Jatulis whose sermon emphasised a common house, common work. The choir, Lituania even came and sung. 

Not sure if this photo is of the actual event described but it was taken at Christies Beach

After mass, tables were set up, placed in rows and the Women’s committee brought out the home made, lovingly prepared food.  The occasion also served as a farewell to priest Paulius Jatulis who had been summoned by the church to go to Italy. 

Speeches were spoken every head present, from by ALB President, Stasys Čibiras, Theatre group head, Juozas Gusčius, Youth group leader Juozas Lapšys, Lithuanian Society President, J. Raginis, Scout Leader Vytas Neverauskas, Sports President J. Jaunutis and Ateininkai head, A. Kubilius. Instead of a farewell gift, the community gathered over £100 for Jatulis for his new path in life.  All present sand Ilgiausiu metų (Longest Years, sung on any special occasion) followed by more singing and joking before those present made the long journey back to Adelaide.

Lunch at Lithuanian House 1976

This article was written by Brone Mockuniene in July 1976 for Mūsų Pastogė.  Times have brought changes to the community lunches and the function of Lithuanian house, but here is how it was seen by those who built it.

A typical Sunday at Lithuanian House.  Cars drive slowly looking for a park.  Adelaidians after Sunday mass at St Casimir travel to Lithuanian House for lunch.  Today Vilniaus scout troop have prepared lunch.  Some arrive for lunch with the whole family, while others may bring Australian friends to try cepeliniai.  By the kitchen door a table stands with various cakes, all homemade.   Bagels, žagarelių and honey cake are brought to try and to take home.   Another table is piled with bottles, prizes for the lottery.  Adelaidians have generous hearts and happily open their wallets to buy lottery tickets, which is drawn at the end of lunch.  “One needs to support the scouts for their national camp” said one to a neighbour.

The scouts are happy with their takings, rubbing their hands together saying “Lunch was good”.  After lunch some may move into the bar to drink a glass of beer, others to the Library to see any new additions or to purchase a record, others may go and play billiards.  The youth have moved outside to play basketball.  Another may venture to Talka for some finance transactions, or view the Archives and museum.  Those at Lithuanian house are in little Lithuania.  What would one do if we didn’t have Lithuanian House? Our lives would be uninteresting and awkward.  Can you remember the time when Adelaide did not have a Lithuanian House, or Catholic centre, nor our own church.  We prayed at St Joseph church while Father Jatulis kept an eye on the clock so as to not run overtime, because the Poles were behind the door waiting for their time slot. We gathered for national dancing in numerous premises.  It is incredible that only five years after arriving in Australia, Adelaide already had a house committee established.  For several years they studied what would be the best way to buy a premises.  It was decided that a non profit organisation ‘Lietuviu Sajunga’ (Lithuanian Union) aimed as a legal entity would acquire and dispose of immovable and other assets.  The first committee consisted of President V Raginis, Vice President J Kalvaitis, Secretary J Pyragius and treasurer A Šliuzas.

Lithuanian House is where our children learn Lithuanian, dance national dances, play basketball.  How many weddings were held here, concerts, various meetings?

 

Just over 60 years ago, the Adelaide Lithuanian school began. Father P Jatulis initiated the weekend school on November 27^th 1949 by inviting former teachers and parents to form a weekend school at St Joseph’s church. The school opened on December 3^rd 1949 with 21 students. The students were divided into two groups from 9-12pm with seven teachers. The church was not ideal as the tables were too high for students. Each child was given a hard piece of board on which to rest their work on.

In 1954 the school was reorganized to come under the Lithuanian Cultural Australian Fund and was renamed Lithuanian Weekend School. It was hard at first as many parents worked the Saturdays and so attendance was sporadic. Another difficulty was the absence of text books, there was no where to source them from. The teachers were not troubled by this and taught the children to read and write. The lessons expanded to include Lithuanian poems and songs. By the 1960’s text books could be sourced and soon the school was decorated with Lithuanian books and maps.

A celebration of the school will be held in September, with past pupils teachers and parents encouraged to attend. If you had a connection with the school, we would love you to share some memories with us and photographs we could copy.

Beginings of Lithuanian Church

By the end of 1948 there were 1000 Lithuanians in Adelaide. Shortly before Christmas the Catholic Immigration Office organized an afternoon tea in St Francis Xavier Cathedral hall which became the venue of Lithuanian social activities in the first few years.

The Archbishop of Adelaide at that time, The Most Reverent Mathew Beovich appointed Father P. Jatulis then residing in Rome to minister to the spiritual needs of the community in Adelaide. Holy mass was celebrated in St Josephs in Pirie Street.

By 1953 there had been in the Adelaide Lithuanian Catholic community

• 26 christenings (12 boys, 14 girls)
• 11 marriages (6 with other nationalities)
• 3 deaths all men
  

In 1956 Fr Jatulis called a meeting at which the Lithuanian Catholic Parish Organisation was constituted and officially registered as “Lithuanian Caritas Inc”.

Porteress Recruits Among D.P's

Seventeen married couples whoa re to work for the SA Railways' were among the 80 displaced persons from Europe who reached Adelaide on Saturday by train from Melbourne. They are quartered at the Migration Hostel.

The wives are to be trained as porteresses and the husbands will work in various sections of the railways.

Women comprised about half of the group of 80 persons who arrived on Saturday.
Some of them, going to domestic work in the metropolitan area, wept at pasting temporarily from husbands, who will reside at Gawler or Smithfield camps and undertake factory and other employment.

The Rev. Father P. Jatulis, a Lithuanian, who arrived on Saturday will be attached to the Catholic Presbytery, West Tce, city.

The Advertiser, Monday 11 April 1949, p.10

Lithuanian Catholic Church

Sventadienio Balsas (Sunday Voice) the newsletter of the Adelaide Lithuanian Catholic community first edition was released 29 March 1953. It was written by Father P Jatulis who resided at the Archbishops House West Terrace.

The two page newspaper contained articles on the Catholic faith on the first page followed by news about the community life, sports, events.

The paper contains information on baptisms, marriages and deaths. The deaths would usually give information on how they died, the next of kin, children, where buried.

Before a church was purchased for the community, Father Jatulis would give mass in numerous places, Royal park, Albert Park, Woodville Gardens, Lobethal. Every few months Father Jatulis would travel to Mt Gambier.

By 1953 there had been in the Adelaide Lithuanian Catholic community
26 christenings (12 boys, 14 girls)
11 marriages (6 with other nationalities)
3 deaths all men SB 1/54

In May 1954 it was announced that the community had a Lithuanian hymn book featuring 60 hymns in 160 pages. Churches were Lithuanian mass was held would have a certain number of reserved hymn books but you were able to purchase you own copy from Father Jatulis.

Getting organised

The first formal gathering of Lithuanians in South Australia was held in the second half of 1948. The Catholic Immigration Officer held an afternoon tea for Lithuanians at Saint Francis Xavier's Hall in Wakefield Street. The hall was to become the first centre of Lithuanian community life in SA.

Shortly after this, Holy Mass in the Lithuanian language was celebrated by Father P Jatulis at Saint Joseph's church in Pirie Street. A Lithuanian language school began in Saint Joseph's Hall in November 1948.

In 1948 M Pareigis organised a small men's choir and V Ratkevicius organised a national dancing group.

On January 2nd, 1949 the first Adelaide Lithuanian meeting was held where over 60 Lithuanians gathered. They formed the Adelaide Lithuanian Cultural Society (Adelaides Lietuviu kulturos draugija ALKD). The President elect was Jonas Mockunas, vice-president, Vincas Cepliauskas, secretary Aleksandras Sliuzas, treasurer: Antanas Giniotis and cultural business Tadas Zurauskas. This group organised the commemoration of the 31st anniversary of the declaration of Lithuanian independence in 1918. Over 400 people attended the event and a photograph appeared in the newspaper. Australians soon began inviting the Lithuanian dancing group and choir to different events as a result.

From many places Migration Museum
Blezdingeles orie Torenso