VMU Chaplaincy

The Academic Chaplaincy cares for the spiritual needs of the members of the academic community. Its mission is to be together through open and academic (interdisciplinary) dialogue, to protect and respect each person’s identity, to speak about God from a scholarly, academic perspective, and thus open opportunities to know Christ in new and deeper ways. It invites the academic community to celebrate faith and profess it according to the tradition of the Church. The organization offers concrete ways to foster personal Christian determination and responsibility, encourages students toward mature friendships, accepting everyone as they are, and helps them to recognize and embrace their vocation. The renewed Chaplaincy invites all to join in giving meaning to the academic year by actively participating in chaplaincy activities, discovering their talents, offering them through volunteering, and growing together in faith and in the everyday life of study.

Areas of activity

• Holy Mass, celebration of the Liturgy, and communal prayer;
• Spiritual conversations and confessions;
• Reading and reflection on Sacred Scripture;
• Spiritual guidance for students and staff;
• Prayer for your intentions (for the living and the deceased);
• Discussions on various topics;
• Recollections;
• Seminars, training sessions, meetings (the VMU community is encouraged to invite the chaplaincy team to conduct a training/seminar on relevant topics);
• Pilgrimage walks;
• Pilgrimage trips (to Taizé European Youth Meetings, World Youth Days, etc.);
• Bible study courses (on the Pentateuch and the Prophets);
• The ALPHA course on the meaning of life and Christian truths;
• The Samuel course, helping with important life decisions and discovering one’s vocation;
• Development of volunteer awareness (formation meetings for volunteers, opportunities to volunteer at chaplaincy events);
• Cooperation with the Student Representative Council and other University organizations;
• Various meetings with members of the academic community.

Schedules

• On Wednesdays, VMU chaplains and the chaplaincy coordinator welcome you to the Chaplaincy office (V. Putvinskio g. 23, Room 105, Kaunas):
  • 3:00 p.m. – Chaplet of Divine Mercy and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament in the VMU Chapel (V. Putvinskio g. 23, Room 105.1, Kaunas);
  • 4:00 p.m. – Holy Mass in the VMU Chapel (V. Putvinskio g. 23–105.1, Kaunas);
  • 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. – opportunity to talk with VMU chaplains, go to confession, etc. (if this time is not suitable, you can arrange to meet with the priests at another convenient time).
• On Sundays, 6:30 p.m. – Holy Mass in English at St. Francis Xavier (Jesuit) Church (Rotušės sq. 8);
• On Sundays, 8:00 p.m. – Holy Mass for students at St. Francis Xavier (Jesuit) Church (Rotušės sq. 8), followed by an agape (shared meal), fellowship, and group discussions.

Other events, meetings, conferences, seminars, pilgrimages, and courses will be announced on the VMU Academic Chaplaincy Facebook page.

Planned VMU Chaplaincy activities for the 2025–2026 academic year:

• September 1, 12:00 p.m. – Opening Holy Mass for the new academic year at Kaunas Cathedral Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul, together with the entire Kaunas academic community;
• September 3 – Opening of the VMU Academic Chaplaincy season: from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. drop by the Chaplaincy office (V. Putvinskio g. 23, Room 105) to meet us (at 4:00 p.m. Holy Mass will be celebrated together, followed by refreshments);
• September 29, 6:30 p.m. – First meeting of the ALPHA course for students;
• November – First meeting of the SAMUEL course (date to be confirmed);
• December 28 – January 2 – Invitation to welcome the New Year by travelling together to the Taizé European Youth Meeting in Paris;
• Early summer – Invitation to a live pilgrimage walk to Šiluva;
• Ongoing invitations to volunteer, to grow in fellowship, and to discover and share your talents.
• On Wednesdays, you are welcome to join us at the VMU Chapel for Holy Mass, prayer, or simply a conversation.
• On Sundays at 8:00 p.m., join us for Holy Mass at St. Francis Xavier (Jesuit) Church, followed by fellowship, food, and discussions.
• More proposals and invitations can be found on Instagram and Facebook.

All information about VMU Academic Chaplaincy activities is available on its Facebook and Instagram pages.

Contacts