Not one, but four weddings

There is no first wedding for a Lithuanian couple in the post WWII immigration story, in fact there are four.  On the 29th May 1948, four young couples, many of whom had just arrived on the General Sturgis ship, ten days earlier were married in the Bathurst Migrant camp.  One Latvian couple also tied the knot.  The ceremony was performed by the Rev. Father Triepper, a Latvian priest whose message in Latin and German was translated into Lithuanian.  

The Lithuanian women wore traditional national costume skirts and white linen embroidered blouses. Throughout the service, Leonas Kazlauskas played and sang hymns in Lithuanian, German and Latin.  On several occasions, Lithuanians in the chapel joined in.  The main decoration was two paper made flags, one Lithuanian, one Latvian, that hung behind the altar. 

Despite the cold weather of the day, over 250 people waited outside to shower the couples with confetti and good wishes. 

A joint wedding breakfast was held in the town.  A wedding cake was made by a Balt pastry chef and a candle was presented to each bride.  Everything else was contributed by the Catholic community of Bathurst.  During breakfast, one after each other, each couple joined hands to cut the wedding cake and each bride lit her candle. 

The couples married that day were,

Juozas Kvietalaitis and Laimutė Gelytė
Juozas Jonelynas and Albina Brazauskaitė
Juozas Matikovas and Stasė Pinikaitė
Grabrielus Žemkalnis and Danutė Butkevičiutė (Pictured above)

National Advocate (Bathurst, NSW : 1889 - 1954)  Mon 31 May 1948   Page 2 

Catholic Women aid Lithuanians in Poland

In 1981 the Adelaide Lithuanian Catholic Women society contacted the United Lithuanian Relief Fund of America (Bendras Amerikos Lietuvių Fondas A Šalpos)  (BALFAS).  The society had decided that it would like to outreach to Lithuanians in the Suvalkija triangle.  Suwałki Region is a small region around the city of Suwałki in northeastern Poland near the border with Lithuania. The territory was disputed between Poland and Lithuania after World War II.

A Stepenienė from Adelaide knew that BALFAS had connections with that area and asked for families to contact.  BALFAS had for many years had been providing aid, mainly in the form of clothes.  Each month they sent 40-50 parcels of good clothes and food.

The letters written in Lithuanian usually gave an outline of the dire straits families were living in.  No specific requests were made, just asking for assistance.  In that year the society received about 32 letters, to which all were responded to.  The women collected clothing items, sorted into packages based on what was mentioned in the letters.  Clothing, shoes, coats, jumpers, ties and children’s clothes were packaged some up to 18 kg and posted.

The United Lithuanian Relief Fund of America has been able to assist thousands of Lithuanian refugees in Europe and elsewhere with some much needed food, clothing, and medicine. Significant aid and clothing contributions came from the Catholic hierarchy. The rest came mainly as personal donations from thousands of Lithuanians in numerous parishes, Clubs, and societies throughout the United States.

 

Reference

http://www.lituanus.org/1956/56_3_06Boley.html

Adelaide Catholic Women's Society

Adelaidės Lietuvių Katalikų Moterų Draugijos 
(Adelaide Lithuanian Catholic Women's Society)

The Lithuanian Catholic Women’s Society (LKM) is an old organisation that began in Kaunas in 1907.  It began at a time when the Russian occupiers of Lithuania wanted to extinguish all things Lithuanian and all things Catholic.  During Lithuania’s independent years the society worked for the improvement of women’s lives, and to assist and improve the disadvantaged.  In the free world the LKM society exists to strength Catholic women so they can work for God and their homeland.

Adelaide Lithuanian Catholic Women’s society was formed in March 13th 1960.  However the women were working informally for ten years before the official start date.  The beginning started in September 1956 when Father Jatulis formed the Lithuanian parish council Caritas.  Caritas is a Latin word meaning love and compassion.  At that time, the church had purchased a property at Christies Beach and work had begun on the new church in St Peters.  There was a lot of work for women to do.  Amongst the first volunteers were K. Dičiunienė, M. Gerulaitienė, A. Mainelienė, A. Stepanienė.  At the beginning the women would travel each Saturday with the men to Christies Beach to give them a hand.  The women worked for the parish at were known as “Karitietemis” (A derivative of the word Caritas).

In September 1957 a new Catholic priest came to the parish, Father Juozas Kungys.  The women’s involvement in the parish increased.  Balls, catered occasions, events at Christies Beach, camps, farewells, visits from other Catholic clergy all involved the women.  On the 20th October 1957 Birutė Budrienė was elected to oversee catering.  Any profits made from events would go to Caritas, but from November that year the women’s group separated themselves and formed the Lietuvių Parapijos Moterys” (Lithuanian Parish women).   A committee of five was elected, A Stepanienė (President), A. Mainelienė (Treasurer), B. Budrienė (Catering), K. Dičiunienė(Information officer), and member G. Opulskienė.  This group existed until 13th March 1960 when it transformed into the Lietuvių Katalikų Moterų Draugijos.  K. Diciuniene, M. Gerulatienė, A. Stepanienė were chosen to organise the charter.  The new committee consisted of K. Diciunienė (President), M. Gerulaitienė, A. Mainelienė, E. Kervelienė, G. Opulskienė, Saulenė Pušdesrienė, and A. Uldukienė.

The society made lunches and dinners on various occasions, a hot traditional lunch every Sunday after mass, a light lunch for the Lithuanian school on Saturday for the teachers and students.  A community Christmas Eve was held, feast days observed, and the sick visited in hospital.  

The group would raise money through fairs, lotteries, buffets, weddings and Sunday lunches.  The money raised would be reinvested into the church, in the form of clothes for the priests, coverings for the altar, carpets for the floors, the library, and the general upkeep of the church.  Kitchen white goods were purchased, fridge, stove, cutlery and crockery, lawn mower, curtains for the stage.  Money was donated to Lithuanian Catholic newspaper in Australia and overseas.  Donations were given to the poor, disasters, and hospitals.  

An annual concert “Šiupinys” was held. A concert of various acts, music, skits, recitals etc.  

The Adelaide branch is a member of the World Lithuanian Catholic Women’s Association.