Saint George Roman Catholic Lithuanian Church - Parish Priests

Parish Priests

At the beginning Rochester's Lithuanians were served by priests from other towns. During the parish incorporation, the Rector was Father Vincentas Vizgirda, who signed the parish incorporation document, but in May returned to Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, and Father Juozas Krasnickas, who left in October. The professors of Saint Bernard's Seminary then took the parish under their care. The most frequent guests were Father J. F. Goggin, who officiated at Mass, and Seminarian Juozas Kasakaitis, who gave the sermons in Lithuanian. When Father Kasakaitis graduated in spring 1909, he was assigned as the first pastor of Saint George Roman Catholic Lithuanian Church. Kasakaitis died of cancer in 1930. He was replaced by Father Jonas Bakšys, alumni of Saint Bernard's Seminary, who worked in Hartford and Waterbury. Bakšys finished building the present Saint George's church and expanded the parish's grammar school to eight grades. Father Bakšys organized relief for the Lithuanian refugees of World War II: he organized clothing donations and raised $10,000 in June 1947 under the auspices of the local chapter of United Lithuanian Relief Fund. When immigration rules permitted Lithuanian refugees to come to the United States, Bakšys himself sponsored many families and found jobs for many of the new arrivals.

Because of failing health, Father Bakšys handed over the pastorate to Pranas Valukevičius in 1956. Valukevičius was born and raised in Rochester and worked the assistant parish priest in 1938–1950. During his term he remodeled the church, hall, and school. To make the parish financially more secure, he started the bingo games. He was also one of the founders in 1950 of the Lithuanian Radio Program, which is still in existence today. Before his death of cancer in 1972, Father Valukevičius worked to find a Lithuanian pastor. The Lithuanian Franciscan Fathers responded to his search and in 1972 took over the leadership of Saint George's Parish. Fathers Rafaelis Šakalys, Bernardinas Grauslys, and Augustinas Simanavičius presided over the parinsh only for a few months. Father Jonas Dyburys was appointed in 1973, but died of heart attack in 1976.

He was rapleced by father Justinas Vaškys, a distinguished personality. Having studied theology, philosophy, history, and pedagogy in Kaunas, Lithuania, and in Austria, in 1939 Vaškys was appointed Principal of the Franciscan High School in Kretinga, Lithuania. When in 1940 the Soviets occupied Lithuania, the Franciscan hierarchy sent Vaškys to America to find a place that would house the Lithuanian Franciscan Friars now scattered throughout the world. He found a place for a monastery in Kennebunkport, Maine, which is still in existence. There, he was responsible for laying the foundations for the Lithuanian newspaper Darbininkas and the magazines Aidai and Šv. Pranciškaus Varpelis. Because of failing health, Father Vaškys had to resign as pastor in June 1991 and went to live in a nursing home, run by the Sisters of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Putnam, Connecticut, where he died in 1994. With him ended the Franciscan leadership at Saint George's.

The Diocese made Father Ralph Fraats the temporary administrator of Saint George. One year later, in 1992, brothers Charles and Dominic Mockevičius returned from retirement to serve Saint George's parishioners. They both had graduated from the Saint George's Grammar School, studied at Saint Andrew and Saint Bernard's Seminaries. In 1997 St. George's celebrated Charles' 80th Birthday and the 50th year anniversary of his priesthood. Father Charles died in 2002. Father Dominic's 60th anniversary of priesthood was celebrated here in the summer of 2008. With help from the Honorary Consul of Lithuania Rimantas Česonis and Bishop Eugenijus Bartulis, Kazimieras Gražulis and Gintaras Antanas Jonikas came from Lithuania to assist Father Dominic.