Father Kazimierz Valeikis, MIC
(12.05.1917 – 07.31.2010)

On July 31, 2010, Fr. Kazimierz Valeikis, MIC, died in Mariampole in his 93rd year of life. Our confrere was born December 5, 1917, to the well-to-do farming family from the village of Inkilai, community of Vaitkuszki, Ukmergė district, parish of Lidokai. In 1931, he went to secondary school in Ukmergė, but in 1934, when his older brothers joined the military, he returned to the family farm. He farmed, learned tailoring, and worked at a print shop in Ukmergė. In 1938, he entered the Marian novitiate. In 1939, he made his first profession of religious vows, and in 1942 – the perpetual profession of vows. From 1938 until the Russian occupation in 1940, he worked at the Marian Publishing House and celebrated the Eucharist. Later he had to do hard manual labor. In 1941, he entered the fourth grade of secondary school, and upon completing the course in 1945, he went to the Seminary in Kaunas. In 1948, he was forced to leave the seminary as a result of the Soviet powers’ action to decrease the number of students at the seminary. He worked at various churches in Vilnius as a sacristan, organist, while studying theology by correspondence. However, he had to stop his studies again. Kazimierz had to take up various jobs, and learned the skills of a stenographer, farmer, and driver. In 1955, he returned to the Kaunas seminary and was ordained a priest on May 25, 1960, by Bishop Julian Steponavicius.

Places of Fr. Kazimierz’s pastoral ministry:
From May 25, 1960 – vicar in Landwarow;
From April 10, 1961 – vicar at St. Nicholas’s Church in Vilnius;
From December 7, 1966 – vicar at St. Peter and Paul’s Church in Vilnius;
From December 15, 1967 – pastor in Nowa Wilejka;
From July 16, 1978 –pastor in Święciany and notary to the Church Tribunal in Vilnius;
From August 5, 1981 – pastor in Rudziszki;
In 1991 he resigned from the office of the Tribunal notary;
From 1992 – acolyte at the Immaculate Conception of the BVM Parish in Vilnius;
From 2002 – acolyte at the Mariampole basilica.

Father Kazimierz offered his long and hard life to God and the Church, faithfully fulfilling the motto of the Renovator of his beloved Congregation. May the Merciful Lord reward him handsomely for his laborious life and may the Blessed Virgin Mary shower on him the riches of her grace.

We, the people who benefited from Fr. Kazimierz’s rich personality and worked at his side will bid him farewell with a fervent prayer.

The casket with Fr. Kazimerz’s body is laid in state in the Mariampole basilica. Holy Mass of Christian burial will begin Monday, August 2, 2010, at noon in the basilica. Father Kazimierz’s earthly remains will be buried at the Mariampole cemetery.

May he rest in peace!