Vyskupas Juozas Oleka (Hollak) jo genealogija, pašaukimas ir paskutinė valia

Abstract

Bishop Juozas Oleka was the first Lithuanian to receive the episcopate after the concordat between Russia and the Vatican in 1882. He was born into a big landowner s family in the parish of Pilviðkiai on 18 November 1812. He received a primary education at home, but later he studied at a gymnasium in Seinai. In 1832 he entered the seminary of Seinai. After one year of studying he moved to the Great Seminary of Warsaw, which later became the Academy of Spirituality. He graduated as a candidate with a theological degree and was ordained a priest on 3 November 1837. Because he was a talented and pious priest, his bishop appointed him chaplain for the disabled in Warsaw. Later he was appointed to a parish, and built a church dedicated to All Saints in Warsaw. Everybody loved him. At the age of 70, Oleka wanted to come back to Lithuania and quietly live in Plokðèiai, but suddenly he was appointed a suffragan bishop. At the same time, Bishop Pertras Viezbovskis appointed him to a parish in Vilkaviðkis. Bishop Oleka died on 27 October 1890 in Vilkaviðkis. As parish priest and auxiliary bishop of Seinai, he was buried in the crypt of the chapel in the churchyard. After the Second World War damaged Vilkaviðkis Cathedral it could not be renovated and finally it was closed down by the communist government; therefore, the tomb of Bishop Olekas was robbed and his body was reburied in the parish cemetery. The biographical details of Bishop Juozas Oleka help to show Russian Department of the Interior documents of the province of Suvalkai and documents of other institutions.