Address of Gratitude by Archbishop Gintaras Grušas at the Beatification of Teofilius Matulionis

We are witnesses to a historic event. Lithuania has another Blessed and intercessor in Heaven. Let us audaciously pray for the intercession of the Blessed Martyr Teofilius, asking for abundant graces and miracles. Like Teofilius, let us trust with all our heart in God’s Providence – that he will provide us with everything we need. At the same time, let us thank God for all his graces, especially for the grace of the Martyr Teofilius and of all the martyrs for the faith.
Your Eminence Cardinal Angelo Amato, I thank you for having shared in our joy. I thank you for having come to Lithuania to bring joyful news, to pray together at this important moment for our nation, and to strengthen us with your words. I ask you to pass on our thanks to the Holy Father, on whose fatherly heart we rely.
I thank the cardinals and bishops who have come from other countries, the Apostolic Nuncio and Lithuania’s bishops, who together with the Lithuanian people today have given thanks to God for the Holy Church’s new Blessed. I thank my brother priests, the deacons, the men and women of consecrated life. Thank you to the representatives of the fraternal Churches who have been together at this joyful hour.
I especially thank those who prepared the way for Teofilius to be declared an example of holiness and an intercessor: I thank all the postulators of the cause of beatification, especially the late Archbishop Jonas Bulaitis and Fr Mindaugas Sabonis who brought the cause of beatification to a conclusion; heartfelt thanks to the General Vicar of the diocese of Kaišiadorys Mons. Algirdas Jurevičius, to Bishop Emeritus Juozas Matulaitis and to the Bishop of Kaišiadorys Jonas Ivanauskas. It is because of them that today’s celebration came about.
I very much thank all those who helped prepare the celebration: the organizers and the many volunteers and supporters. I thank the Lithuanian armed forces, the Riflemen, the police and the medics. Thank you to the Vilnius City municipality, the Palace of the Grand Dukes and the government’s representatives for their close collaboration in preparing this major event. I thank Lithuanian National Radio and Television, Radio Maria and all the media for helping to announce this happy news in Lithuania and the world.
I sincerely thank the pilgrims from all Lithuania – Teofilius blesses you from Heaven! I thank the Lithuanians who came from other countries. With gratitude I greet the pilgrims from Belarus, Russia, Latvia and Poland.
I especially thank the participants of Lithuanian Youth Days. May Blessed Teofilius be your companion throughout the adventure of life! From now on you will have a mission and a duty: like Teofilius, love the truth and never bend to a lie. The truth will set you free. I send each of you out to your diocese, your city, your home to announce: Glory to God! Lithuania has a new Blessed who intercedes for us and encourages us to believe in the victory of good.
Today let us all return home firmly believing that our new intercessor in Heaven wants to help us experience, in all the difficulties of life, the peace that is a gift of God. Like Blessed Teofilius, let us too entrust our life to the victory of the Love of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

+ Gintaras Grušas
The Archbishop Metropolitan of Vilnius

25 June 2017, Vilnius

Italiano: Ringraziamento dell’arcivescovo Gintaras Grušas (PDF)