Juozas Montvila | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Church | Catholic Church |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | 22 March 1908 |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Juozas Montvila (1885-01-03)3 January 1885 |
| Died | 15 April 1912(1912-04-15) (aged 27) |
| Buried | Atlantic Ocean |
| Nationality | Lithuanian |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Education | Marijampolė Gymnasium |
| Alma mater | Sejny Priest Seminary |
Juozas Montvila (alsoanglicized asJoseph Mantvila; 3 January 1885 – 15 April 1912) was a LithuanianCatholic priest who was a passenger of theTitanic during its sinking.
Juozas Montvila was born on 3 January 1885 inGudinė [lt] as the son of Kazys Montvila and Magdalena Montvilienėnée Karalevičiūtė. The family later moved toNendriniškiai [lt], where they bought a farm.[1] Montvila was baptized inMarijampolė and received hisFirst Communion there. Montvila's parents educated their children privately at home with secret in-home tutors calleddaraktoriai. Montvila was educated by his grandfather Martynas Karalevičius. Montvila attended the primary school in Marijampolė, and later attended theMarijampolė Gymnasium.[2]
After graduating, Montvila began studying at theSejny Priest Seminary in 1903. Due to the seminary's strictness, Montvila briefly left the seminary. Montvila was ordained as a priest inWarsaw on 22 March 1908,[2] and was assigned as avicar inLipsk where he secretly administered to the needs of theUniates. Due to his illegal activity, theTsarist government was to strip Montvila's vicariate and deny his pastoral vocation. Montvila consequently began working for numerous Catholic newspapers. He was also a gifted artist who drew illustrations and vignettes for various newspapers and books published inVilnius.[1] Montvila also published at least twenty-five sermons.[3]
Montvila wished to travel abroad due to his realization that he most likely wouldn't have been accepted back into Lithuania for pastoral work. Montvila planned on meeting his brother Petras in the United States. Montvila first arrived inLondon on 20 March 1912,[2] where he worked atSt Casimir's Lithuanian Church and learned English. He eventually boarded theTitanic inSouthampton.[1] Montvila chose to board theTitanic due to the hope that the then-modern ship would alleviate his sea-sickness.[4] Montvila also carriedAntanas Juška's collection of Lithuanian folk songs, which he hoped to publish in the United States.[5][2]
It is unclear what Montvila's plans were after his arrival in the United States. According to a friend of Montvila's sister who lived inBrooklyn, Montvila was to head a parish in the growing Lithuanian quarter community of the city. However, twogazettes entitledJackson (Miss.) News andWorcester Evening noted that Montvila was going toWorcester, Massachusetts instead.The Boston Globe noted on 26 April 1912 that Montvila was on his way to Worcester as curate for Vincent Buchoviecki, a pastor of the city's St Casimir's Lithuanian Church.[1]
According to reports, after theTitanic's collision, Montvila "served his calling to the very end" by refusing a place on one of the lifeboats,[2][6] and offering solace to fellow travelers. Montvila eventually died and his body sank. His body was never identified.[1]
His parents and grandparents received a grant of 130GBP from the Titanic Relief Fund.[1]
In 1977, Petras Montvila released a book about the life of his brother. A commemorative medal was made in 1992 with the funds of Andrius Montvila. A monumental rock was built in his home village. Furthermore, Montvila was considered forbeatification.[2]
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