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Project 6657 - Renovation of rooms for pastoral activity

Monastery of Kaunas (Lithuania)

The monastery was founded in 1624 by Benedictines from Belarus. In the nineteenth century, then in the twentieth century, the monastery lost its independence against the governments in place. In 1948, under Soviet occupation, the monastery was closed and the sisters expelled. Two remained in Kaunas, keeping quiet whilst continuing to meet to pray. The other sisters founded in Germany, then some in the United States.

After the independence of Lithuania, the convent church was restored and reconsecrated. The sisters sold their apartments to buy the convent building from the lay people who had lived there during the Soviet period. At present, a convent building belongs to the community. The other building has just been recovered in 2018.

The community now consists of thirty-six members, fourteen between twenty-three and forty years of age.

The sisters try to support themselves by working outside the monastery as teachers, nurses and catechists. They develop programs of evangelization and catechesis for families who, after years of Soviet persecution, lack Christian bases. There are many requests for formation in the life of faith, prayer, sacraments ...

The community receives throughout the year a number of groups: catechism with forty-five children and about sixty parents, about thirty students and young adults, several prayer groups, groups of excursions, etc. Currently, these many pastoral activities are done in rooms not adapted to meetings.
In 2018, the community recovered apartments in a building now belonging to the monastery that the nuns wish to open to the different groups. Unfortunately, these apartments are in very bad condition and there is everything to redo: cleaning, remodelling, doors, windows, ceilings, walls, electricity, plumbing, painting, etc.

The total cost is estimated at 50,000 euros, supported by several benefactors.

Requested amount: € 20,000