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CANONS REGULAR OF PENANCE OF THE LITHUANIAN PROVINCE ON THE TERRITORY OF THE FORMER GRAND DUCHY OF LITHUANIA IN EARLY YEARS AFTER THE PARTITION OF POLISH LITHUANIAN COMMONWEALTH The history of Canons Regular of Penance (Ordo Canonicorum S. Mariae de Metro [or Demetri] de Urbe de Poenitentia Beatorum Martyrum) on the territory of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania began in the end of the 14th century. The king of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania Władysław Jagiełło brought Canons of Penance from Cracow to the just christened Lithuania and founded for them two monasteries in the parishes of the diocese of Vilnius. Over centuries, new communities of the convent arose in the Vilnius diocese with their number reaching almost twenty in certain periods. Towards the end of the 17th century, the new Lithuanian Province was established. Partitions of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in the end of the 18th century caused serious transformations within the Catholic Church of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, which affected Canons Regular, as well. The Vilnius diocese, where the communities of the Lithuanian Province stayed, found itself under power of the Russian Empire. Repressions against the Catholic Church led to cassation of the Canon’s convents of the Lithuanian Province after the November Uprising (1830-31). On the ground of the literature and sources related to the Canons Regular of Penance of the Lithuanian Province, the research concerning their history in the early years after partition has been undertaken. The analysis proved the initial hypothesis that in the early years after partition, Canons Regular of the Lithuanian Province were still vital. Nothing indicated that their end was coming. The rule of the convent strongly emphasized pastoral work. The majority of its members were priests, active in parishes as parish-priests or vicars. Even though the number of vocations started to decrease after the partitions – there were even years when nobody joined the community – the convent functioned successfully enough. According to the rule, the priority was given to pastoral work and all 15 convents had their own parishes in the said period. A typical representative of the convent during the early stage after partitions was middle-aged and ordained, usually a parish priest or his auxiliary in the parish belonging to the convent on a given territory. Usually, a monk appointed to a certain office would hold it for several terms. The presented research demonstrates that the convent of Canons Regular had a relatively big influence upon the spiritual life of the Vilnius diocese during the said period. |
