Cardinal Sigitas Tamkevičius was arrested by Soviet authorities in 1983 and sentenced to ten years, including six years of hard labor in Siberia. He survived through daily prayer and secret Mass. After the Soviet collapse freed him, Pope John Paul II appointed him bishop of Lithuania.
As we mentioned earlier this weekend, Pope Francis created 13 new cardinals. They come from all over the world, each with their own fascinating history, but one is quite remarkable. Tonight, our EWTN team brings us the story of Sagittas Tomkovicius. He spent seven years in a prison camp during the Soviet occupation of his native Lithuania, risking his life for his faith.
I was arrested and imprisoned in 1983, and before me, one of my priest friends was also convicted. And during his trial, I was arrested and locked up in prison. I spent eight months there, and for six of those months I underwent intense interrogations constantly, more than 60 of them, and they would last up to seven hours each. Well, after all these interrogations, there was a Supreme Court ruling where they sentenced me to 10 years imprisonment. Six of these were forced hard labor and four of them in exile in Siberia. After the court process, I was taken to a labor camp and my prison life started. It was not unexpected because I had read and heard about it, so I was ready. Well, I prayed every day. Every day I was praying the rosary. Very often I would secretly celebrate Holy Mass and say my rosary. And the presence of the Lord really did ease my imprisonment time. After my time in the labor camp, I was taken to Siberia. But in Siberia, instead of the four years that I should have had, I was there for only one year because the Soviet government collapsed and the rest of my sentence was repealed and I came back to my homeland. And there I was able to start normal priestly work. After a couple of years, Pope John Paul II appointed me to bishop, and this position I served until the year 2015. I had experience of carrying the cross of persecution. I also had experience of serving the church in free conditions. But I think that this imprisonment really helped me in the long run to serve as a bishop because the position was not easy. There were many different challenges that occurred. But when as a bishop you have seen the good and the bad, you are even tempered. The hardships that you have to face are easily carried.
EWTN contributor Colm Flynn translated for the Cardinal There.
