Punsko parapijos sielovada XVII a. antrojoje pusėje

Abstract

Straipsnyje, remiantis XVII a. antrosios pusės Punsko parapijos vizitacijų ir inventorių medžiaga (1669, 1672, 1676, 1700 m.), aprašoma eilinės Vilniaus vyskupijos parapijos padėtis. Pateikiama duomenų apie to meto klebonus, aptariama bažnyčios įranga, apibūdinama parapinė mokykla, prieglauda, itin daug dėmesio skiriama parapijos knygoms aptarti, išryškinamos pagrindinės sielovados problemos ir jų sprendimo būdai

The article reveals material and spiritual situation of the Puńsk parish at the second half of the 17th century. The sources of the investigation are visitations (1669, 1676 and 1700) and inventories (1672). The Catholic church of Puńsk (Vilnius diocese) was founded and equipped on the initiative of local forester Stanisław Zaliwski, as well as by the privileges of the ruler Sigismund Vasa in 1597, 1600, 1606 and 1609. The ruler had the right of patronage of this church. The church received land, meadows, the right to benefit from timber, to fish, to build a mill house, to have an inn and to collect the tithe. These were typical means of supply for a contemporary parochial church and looking from material point of view the parish became an averagely rich one in Simnas deanery. Guided by the principle that the truths of faith must be explained in mother tongue language, the ruler ordered by his privileges to appoint only Lithuanian speaking priests. This proves that inhabitants of the parish were Lithuanians. A typical wooden church was constructed in Puńsk with a title of St. Apostles Peter and Paul and the Assumption of Blessed Virgin Mary. Three altars were constructed as well as a bell tower in the churchyard and a cemetery. In 1612 a supply for an organist was granted, and in 1699 altaria was founded. Even though the school building is mentioned in the privileges of the early 17th century, but its more consistent activity is recorded only at the end of the 17th century when pastor himself hired and maintained a bachelor for a school that had no foundation. During the last decades of the 17th century there was a shelter set up in the parish probably on the initiative of pastor Jokūbas Jackevičius, in 1700 there lived quite a lot for that time – 17 poor people. Decreta reformationis of the visitations paid great attention to the discussion on spiritual activities. [...]