On February 16, 2018 – the Centennial of the Restored State of Lithuania

On February 16, 2018, we will solemnly celebrate the Centennial of the Restored State of Lithuania.
The celebration by the Catholic Church in Lithuania of the Centennial of restored statehood will begin on Sunday, February 11, when Lithuania’s bishops together with the faithful perform an act of consecration of Lithuania to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Patroness of Lithuania. This act of faith will be joined by members of the faithful in all of Lithuania’s churches and in Lithuanian communities worldwide.
On February 16 we will thank God for Lithuanian independence, for our country’s saints and blesseds, and for all the generous people who have sacrificed themselves for the nation’s common good.
12:30 Tolling of Bells for the Centennial
The bells of Lithuania’s churches will sound in celebration. The Catholic Church contributed greatly to the establishment of Lithuania’s statehood, and during the years of Soviet occupation fostered and kept alive the nation’s pursuit of freedom.
13.00 Holy Mass for the Homeland at the Vilnius Cathedral Basilica of Saints Stanislaus and Vladislaus
The principal celebrant of Holy Mass will be Vilnius Archbishop Metropolitan Gintaras Grušas. Masses in thanksgiving to God for Lithuania’s freedom will also be celebrated in the other churches of the Archdiocese of Vilnius (for Mass times, see www.vilnensis.lt). Let us celebrate the Centennial of statehood giving thanks to God for Lithuania’s freedom and all those who have sacrificed themselves for it.
Note that Lithuania’s bishops have exempted the faithful from the obligation to abstain from meat on Friday, February 16, this year, issuing the following invitation: “Let us share the joy of independence with one another! May your joy be complete! (cf. Jn 15:11)”
Full details of Centennial events in the city of Vilnius are available at http://www.lietuva.lt/100/en.