Mykolas Jeronimas Krupavičius: gyvenimas, skirtas tarnauti Dievui, Lietuvai, žmogui
ENPrelate Mykolas Krupavičius was born on October 1, 1885 in the Balbieriškis, Marijampolė district, in the area of the then Russian Empire, in the family of Pranciškus Krupavičius and Rozalija Malinauskaitė-Krupavičienė. Mykolas had three sisters: Melanija, Veronika, and Marija. He attended elementary schools in Kriauniai and Igliškėliai. In 1905, he graduated from Veiveriai College of Teachers. In 1905- 1907 he worked as a teacher in several small towns in Poland. From 1908 to 1913 he studied at the Seminary of Seinai. Later, in the years 1913-1917 he studied at the Saint Petersburg Theological Academy. In 1914, he was ordained a priest in the Church of St. Michal Archangel in Marijampolė. In 1948 was appointed Roman prelate. In his childhood, he distributed banned Lithuanian publications. In 1910, he started cooperation with the publishers of Lithuanian press. From 1917 to 1919 he was the editor of the publication ‘Laisvoji Lietuva’ (Free Lithuania). In 1927-1928 he edited ‘Krikščionis demokratas’ (Christian Democrat) and in 1947-1950 he was an editor of ‘Tėvynės sargas’ (A Guardian of the Homeland). Mykolas Krupavičius was the publisher of the books Krikščioniškoji demokratija (Christian Democracy), Lietuviškoji išeivija (Lithuanian Emigrants), Kunigas Dievo ir žmogaus tarnyboje (A Priest as a Servant to God and Humanity), Atsiminimai (Reminiscences), Visuomeniniai klausimai (Social Issues). He wrote about 20 brochures and 150 articles. In 1917, he founded the Party of Lithuanian Christian Democrats in Russia and from 1919 to 1923 he was a chairman of its Central Committee. Mykolas Krupavičius organized the elections for the Constituent Assembly of Lithuania. In 1922, he developed an agricultural reform; therefore from 1923 to 1926 he was a Minister of Agriculture.In the period of 1946-1950 he was a chairman of the reactivated Association of Lithuanian Christian Democrats in Germany. In 1950, he was elected a lifelong chairman of the World Party of Lithuanian Christian Democrats. After the establishment of the Central Liberation Committee of Lithuania in Germany in 1945, he became its chairman and held these duties until 1955. Prelate Mykolas Krupavičius died on December 4, 1970 in Chicago, USA. In 2006, thanks to the efforts of his niece G. Jarumbavičiūtė, the remains of the clergy were brought from the United States to Lithuania and buried in Kaunas in the Church of the Resurrection, which was the fulfilment of the last will of the prelate.
