Guoda Kliučinskaitė
Every time I meet Sister Jolanta Laučiūtė, an Assumptionist, I experience tenderness - during a conversation, or when she greets me. This feeling is also present when I listen to her experiences about the Ateitis[1] organisation, about the congregation she is in, about the daily ministries. Sister Jolanta shares. So this conversation is also about the joy of education.
How did Ateitis "appear" in your life? What attracted you to them the most?
I encountered Ateitis when I was still in grammar school. My classmate Neringa invited me to, I think, the Monday evening Mass. I then attended the Masses at St Casimir's Chapel in the Vilnius Cathedral. I even took part in the Ateitis renewal congress, but I do not remember much of that event - only the uplifting mood and the enthusiasm of Arvydas Žygas, head of organisation. When I joined the youth group of Šv. Mykalojus (St. Nicholas’) Parish, many young people with whom I became friends were Ateitis members. So, I think it was the friendships that attracted me to Ateitis in the first place. I also felt a hunger for the spirit, the mind, and the truth, which was satisfied by the serious discussions with my peers, the homilies at Mass and the lectures we attended. Since then, I have asked myself why I didn't officially join Ateitis at that point. In fact, nobody had directly invited me to join, and the idea had not occurred to me, so I simply remained a "sympathiser".
Ateitis is based on 5 principles (love of country, concern for society, commitment to education, commitment in catholic community, and family spirit) and their motto is "all things renewed in Christ". How do these ideas relate to the mission of your congregation of the Religious of the Assumption?
We have a lot in common! The Rule of Life of Assumption Sisters highlights the spirit of joy that comes from faith, constant human and spiritual growth, and self-development. Assumptionist education places a strong emphasis on commitment, on the seeking for the good of society. Human development is never an end in itself but is always directed towards the good of the community and society.
"Earth is the place of God's glory", said Saint Marie Eugénie, founder of the Sisters of the Assumption. For her, earthly reality is not a "valley of tears" whatever the trials, but a place where the Lord reveals his generous love, and we are here to share that love with others. Marie Eugenie was convinced that a person whose gaze is fixed through faith on Jesus Christ and His constant saving action in our reality, does not waste time complaining. She was concerned about God's desire and sought to use everything that happened for His service and glory. And according to Saint Irenaeus, the glory of God is a living person. That is why you will often find our sisters all over the world in places where human beings are brought up and educated in some way.
We are a community whose Rule of Life is inspired by the spirit of Saint Augustine, so we are those who cherish the spirit of family. We pray together several times a day, we eat together, we come together in the evenings to share our daily discoveries, joys, and difficulties. And when necessary, we have a family chat.
Another aspect of faith that is very dear to Assumption is the mystery of the Incarnation in other words, the choice of the Son of God to become part of one particular family and one particular nation. He was born as a particular person, in a particular family, place, culture, thus demonstrating the value of each person, family, nation, culture. We, too, become human only by committing ourselves to a concrete reality.
A few years ago, you agreed to coordinate a Catholic youth group for the schoolchildren of Blessed Teofiliuss Matulionis School. What inspired you to take up this ministry?
We, the sisters at Bl. Teofilius Matulionis, used to dream about a Catholic pupils group in our school. The idea came up spontaneously in a conversation with Sr. Kotryna Danguolė, also a former member of Ateitis. When she asked me if we should take the initiative to start a group, I realised that this was in line with my desire for Catholic children to have friends in the school. Indeed, it is not so easy to be a practising Catholic among your classmates, even in a Catholic school. Furthermore, in 2019, Fr. Gabrielius had just been appointed chaplain of Bl. Teofilas Matulionis, so the conditions seemed favourable for new life to begin.
The pupils who had joined the group in primary school are now eighth graders, several children go to Berčiūnai in the summer camp. There are a few loyal members who have been involved since the beginning of the group. Others join for a year or two, and then move away because of personal activities, other clubs, or changes in interests. This year, Miglė, a twelfth grader, also joined the activities of the group, having taken part in the Ateitis Summer Academy of Pupils. She is a real helper! We try to pray together, share our experiences of the week or discuss a suggested topic, and then we have time for tea and games. Sometimes we go to the countryside, to a museum, on a hike, and sometimes, we invite a guest.
What did you discover in yourself when you became the group coordinator? Did you discovered something new, or were you simply confirmed in what you already knew?
I realised that I love to play.
What joy can you share from the life of Ateitis?
It's perhaps not a joy, but it's an activity that I really enjoy and was amazed to find that the children enjoy too. I thought that the pupils would be too tired after a day at school to even consider reading a long text, but I suggested it once, and we have been repeating it ever since. The activity is as follows: in the middle of the circle, I put all the Ateitis youth magazines I have received, and each pupil chooses one based on the cover photo that catches their eye. Then each selects one of the articles whose title intrigues them that day. And then we all spend 10-20 minutes reading. If while reading, a pupil finds an article unengaging or too complex, they can choose another one, but only once so that they have enough time to read the article and be able to present the most interesting idea to the others.
You've been working with children for more than 10 years, what do you notice - are they changing, or is there something that unites all generations of students?
Yes, generations change. Access to information sources has greatly expanded their knowledge and interests, and children have a wide range of extracurricular activities and are more engaged. I find that children are more sensitive, more vulnerable, more direct, more immediate, more courageous in expressing their thoughts. What unites all generations? Children of all generations are human beings, with their own wounds, aspirations, desires, contradictions, openness to newness, to relationship, to friendship, to faith. I don't understand much when they discuss the latest games, but it's always very interesting to listen to them talk about what fascinates and engages them.
In addition to your service as the group coordinator, you have other commitments - what is your daily routine like? What brings you the joy?
This is my third year in charge of the school’s pastoral care, which is my main responsibility and concern. I also have responsibilities in the convent. We are an international community, so we have remote and face-to-face meetings with sisters in other countries. Joy comes from the simple everyday things - silent Adoration or a psalm sung in the chapel, a heartfelt and open conversation, a walk, making lunch, a visit from a guest, a carrot picked out of the garden… and the feeling of being in my place.
[1] Ateitis (The Future) are a children's and youth organisation founded in Lithuania in the early 20th century. Its aim is to educate Catholic young people who will contribute to social change.