Lithuanian Catholic Alliance
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This history of the Lithuanian Catholic Alliance can and should teach many useful lessons. The greatest hopes of Lithuanian Americans and their finest ideals are contained in its founding, its growth, and its accomplishments.

After a very small and fragile beginning, the Alliance grew into an army of several thousands amassing a capital of millions of dollars and extending myriad ways of lending assistance to its members, and zealously supporting Lithuanian Catholic endeavors.

The people of Lithuania had struggled for years for the right to determine their own lives and freedom as Lithuanians. Foreseeing no hope in the immediate future and after a series of frustrations many young men emigrated to the United States. They hoped to change the poverty of their lives and escape induction into the Russian Army. There are records of some coming as early as 1659. But the largest wave of Lithuanian immigrants followed the insurrection of 1893 and consisted mainly of peasants, farm hands and common laborers who dreamed of freedom and liberty in contrast to the Russian poverty and oppression. Sailing across the Atlantic was a hazardous, dangerous journey, taking four to five months. The trip was grueling. Food was minimal; a few crackers, several raw potatoes, some oatmeal and a bit of water. Official ship log records disclose that many times half the people who boarded died before reaching the new world.

Because of the language barrier, and lack of immediate friends and relatives, even the most educated accepted work on farms, railroads and coal mines. The earliest settlers came to Danville, Shamokin, Plymouth, Wilkes-Barre, Shenandoah and other mining towns in Pennsylvania. Others seeking farm work settled in the New England area.

Notwithstanding the poverty and the attempted Russification of Lithuania's schools, one of the greatest reasons for emigration was the tsarist government attempt to destroy the great spiritual treasure of the Lithuanians: RELIGION. Many churches were transformed into orthodox places of worship and many monasteries were abolished. Priests were not even allowed to attend to their neighbors' spiritual needs during holy days. For the slightest transgression, and especially for the distribution of Lithuanian books, priests were punished not only with fines, but with deportation to Siberia and other far corners of Russia.

Quickly the new immigrants began to establish and build churches. The first of these in Pittston, Mahanoy City, Hazleton, Plymouth, Brooklyn, New York and Baltimore, Maryland. They eventually founded educational societies, drama clubs, choirs, folk dance groups and they established newspapers, magazines and journals.

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71 South Washington Street, Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania 18701
Phone: 570-823-8876