| BalticJesuit THE VISION Jesuits, with a proud tradition in Lithuania since 1569, strive to promote the moral and intellectual life of the Baltic region by nurturing human dignity and mature faith, by emphasizing scholarship and excellence in Catholic education, and by supporting a truly civil society based upon truth and service to others. The Baltic Jesuit Advancement Project serves to secure support for Jesuit programs and ideals in the Baltic Region. THE BACKGROUND In 1990, Lithuania regained its independence after five decades of Soviet occupation. While elation swept the country, the citizenry took stock of the damages this oppression had wrought and the great changes needed for Lithuania to rebuild for the world of the 21st century. As they have throughout their 450-year history, Jesuits took a lead in creating a new Lithuania. They re-opened two formerly Jesuit-owned high schools - one in Vilnius, the other in Kaunas - despite the deplorable condition of the existing facilities. They also reclaimed four Jesuit churches, which barely resembled houses of worship after 50 years of physical abuse. One church had been converted into a Soviet museum of atheism; another had been used as a shooting range. Still, recognizing the tremendous spiritual hunger of the people, Jesuits quickly restored these facilities to working order and re-opened them. Students and worshippers filled the churches; it was clear that the demand for moral...
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