Antanas Staniukynas – Seinų kunigų seminarijos klierikų slaptos organizacijos įkūrėjas, knygnešys
LTReikšminiai žodžiai: Antanas Staniukynas; Knygnešiai; Seinų kunigų seminarija; Antanas Staniukynas; Book smugglers; Seinai Priest Seminary.
ENIn 1864, the Russian Empire published the prohibition of the Lithuanian press in Latin script that was also compulsory in the Suvalkai Province, which belonged to the Kingdom of Poland. The Roman Catholic clergy were the first in Lithuania who resisted against the prohibition. It was a secret organization established by Bishop Motiejus Valančius operating in Kaunas Governorate and the Telšiai (Varniai) Diocese. Sudargas Pastor Martynas Sederevičius, and later the Vicar of the Kalvarija Parish Adomas Grinevičius became the first to organize secret activities in the Diocese of Seinai. In the Seinai Seminary there was a significant proportion of the Lithuanian clergy who had studied at Marijampolė or Suvalkai gymnasiums. They were concerned with the issues of preservation of the Lithuanian identity. Having graduated from the Suvalkai Gymnasium, in 1884 Antanas Staniukynas, born on May 4th, 1865, in Saltininkai village, Krosna County (present Lazdijai district), enrolled in the Seminary. He was well prepared as he had studied religious literature independently. In the gymnasium, he received prohibited Lithuanian press and distributed it. At the Seminar, having got acquainted with the patriotic-minded clergy, found out that everyone had publications in Lithuanian. After consulting a number of trusted clergy, he proposed the creation of a secret library of Lithuanian books. It was around 1885. Later he came up with an idea to bring together a secret organization of the clergy. The readers of this library became its members. The main tasks were the distribution of the prohibited Lithuanian press, as well as learning to speak and write well in Lithuanian. Antanas Staniukynas prepared the statute of this organization, and in 1888 its activities started.The secret society, having received the name of Šaltinis, continued its activities after the abolition of the press prohibition until the First World War. Antanas Staniukynas was moved from parish to parish for Lithuanian activity as a vicar. In 1904 he went to the USA and worked there successfully. He died on December 15, 1918, and was buried in the Catholic cemetery in Chicago. [From the publication]
