Blessed Teofilius Matulionis mural will decorate St. Casimir’s parish hall

In commemoration of eighty years of Lithuanian community and brotherhood, the Blessed Teofilius Matulionis mural will be installed at St. Casimir’s Parish Hall, as a symbol of courage, sacrifice and fidelity of Catholic faith. It will be the first mural of Lithuanian martyr and blessed to be displayed abroad.

Many Lithuanian parents and grandparents have fled the homeland and when they arrived at the land of the free, they gathered together to resume their community prayers. From a lowly house in Santa Monica, everyone contributed their meager earnings to find a common place of worship for their children and families in the Los Feliz district. Today, the campus is a vibrant gathering place where generations of refugees and former persecuted Christians, including immigrants from other places, celebrate the blessings of freedom and abundant graces of God.

Blessed Teofilius of Kaisiadorys underwent great sufferings for the Catholic faith. He was in and out of concentration camps and forced to hard labor in Siberia, but never lost hope and kept praying as well as sending secret messages to his people. When released as an exchange prisoner, he traveled to the United States and spoke freely of his people, only to find himself arrested again and sentenced for 10 years of prison. He became a martyr in 1962 and the second Lithuanian to be declared blessed in 2017. 

“The memory of past sufferings should not diminish our joy, but should simply remind each of us about the duty to forgive, about respect and prayer for our neighbor, including our enemy. The Martyr Teofilius Matulionis was someone humble, generous, kind and faithful. He teaches all of us how we should live, pray, suffer and work for the greater glory of God and the salvation of souls. There were no walls of division in his soul. His heart was the dwelling place of a charity without limits, of a serenity that was contagious, and of a goodness that was merciful. Let us imitate him!” Cardinal Angelo Amato said at the beatification Mass in Vilnius.

During his apostolic journey to Lithuania, Pope Francis visited Blessed Teofilius cell at the KGB Museum and lighted a candle. He prayed: “Lord, may Lithuania be a beacon of hope. May it be a land of memory and action, constantly committed to fighting all forms of injustice. May it promote creative efforts to defend the rights of all persons, especially those most defenseless and vulnerable. And may Lithuania be for all a teacher in the way to reconcile and harmonize diversity.”

„Viešpatie, tebūnie Lietuva vilties švyturys. Tebūna tai atminties ir veiksmų kraštas, nuolat pasiryžęs kovoti su visomis neteisybės formomis. Tegu tai skatina kūrybines pastangas ginti visų asmenų, ypač tų, kurie yra labiausiai neapsaugoti ir pažeidžiami, teises. Ir tegul Lietuva yra mokytojas, kaip derinti ir harmonizuoti įvairovę “.

We invite everyone to support this project. There will be limited (12 X 12) tiles available to honor your family, deceased loved ones or organization in a commemorative marker. You can make a tax deductible donation by calling the parish office at (323) 664-4660 or request for the pledge card to be mailed. The mural will be a testament of Lithuanians strong faith as well as our generosity of forgiveness and hospitality to all peoples. It is scheduled to be completed in time for the 80th anniversary of the parish, to celebrate eight decades of God’s unending graces, Lithuanian culture and traditions in the West Coast.

The Blessed Matulionis mural will be a gift of Lithuanians and parishioners of St. Casimir’s Church to the Catholic faithful of Los Angeles! Tai bus Šv. Kazimiero bažnyčios lietuvių ir parapijiečių dovana katalikų tikintiesiems Los Andžele!

May the heroic life and virtues of Blessed Teofilius Matulionis be an inspiration to generations of Lithuanians and all peoples.