Kunigas jėzuitas Vincentas Pupinis
LTReikšminiai žodžiai: Jezuitas, kunigas, V. Pupinis; Lietuvių išeivija; Lietuvių kunigai; Lietuvos jėzuitai; Vatikano radijas; Jesuit, priest, V. Pupinis; Lithuanian Diaspora; Lithuanian Jesuits; Lithuanian Priests; Vatican Radio.
ENJesuit priest Vincentas Pupinis is one of the most prominent Lithuanian personalities, who worked in the Vatican next to the Holy See. For several years, the emigrant from Northern Lithuania worked for Pontifical Russian College in Rome. From 1980 to 1988, he was in charge of the Russian department of the Vatican radio, and from 1988 to 1993 – the Vatican Radio Lithuanian editorial office. In 1993, the last years of his life, he contributed directly to the preparation for the Pope John Paul II’s trip to Lithuania. The article is based on hitherto unpublished Pupinis’ 105 letters to his brother Aleksandras living in Joniškis during the period of 1956–1992. The descriptive-analytical analysis of the letters showed that he had never lost touch with the roots of Žiemgala, native Gataučiai (current Pakruojis district). Through thoughts and letters to his relatives he went back to his birthplace before the most important dates of the year: Christmas, Easter, and each July before or after the feast of the Scapular in Linkuva. Contents of the letters revealed broad and creative Jesuit priest’s missionary activities in Australia and Brazil, and his enormous contribution to the Vatican radio. Letters written from Brazil, describing the details of Lithuanian emigrants life, traditions and customs, should be of interest to researchers, who study the history of Lithuanian emigrants in South America. Rich language of the letters and businesslike style showed that priest Vincentas Pupinis living among non-native speakers (he himself spoke Lithuanian, Russian, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese and German), had never lost the sense of the language and did not forget his native language. [From the publication]
