FR. DONATUS SLAPSYS SJ

                                                    

                                                      13 Mar. 1921 – 19 Aug. 2010 

 

Fr. Donatus Slapsys SJ, who was sent by the German Jesuit Province to work as a missionary in the rural parts of the Ahmednagar District, breathed his last at the Nitya Seva Hospital, Shevgaon, Ahmednagar, on August 19, 2010. 

Fr. Slapsys was born on March 13, 1921 in Siauliai, the third biggest town of Lithuania but grew up mostly in Kauna. After the first four years of Jesuit formation in the home country, Fr. Slapsys was sent to Germany for studies in Philosophy and Theology in Berchmanskolleg in Pullach near Munich. He studied philosophy and theology very diligently and was a Jesuit who meticulously adhered to the laws and rules of the Society not only during his studies, but all his life. He was ordained Priest on July 27, 1947 in Pullach. During his studies in Germany, his home country was attacked and occupied by the Bolshevik forces of the Soviet Union. The Catholics underwent bloody persecution and his return home became impossible. After theological studies in Munich, he went to America, where the Jesuits who had been sent out of Lithuania were looked after by their banned fellow countrymen. He did his Tertianship at the Grand Coteau, USA. The American Jesuits were generous in financing the higher studies of Fr. Slapsys, and he completed his Master’s Degree in Education in 1950. 

During his stay in America, Fr. Slapsys got acquainted with a number of American Jesuits who had been missionaries in Sri Lanka (then Ceylon), and through them his interest to work in the Mission Stations grew and developed. He thought of going to Sri Lanka as a missionary, but circumstances lead him to the Pune Mission. He arrived in India on October 26, 1950, and went immediately to Sangamner in the Ahmednagar District to learn Marathi under Fr. Zinser. He worked alongside his German and Swiss friends, some of whom had studied with him in Germany. 

Right from his Scholastic days it was Fr. Slapsys’s wish to make people aware of the teachings of Christ and bring them to Him. His own faith in Christ remained the most important thing in his life. Christ was his Guru. The response of Fr. Slapsys to the teachings of Christ has been his faithful service to God’s people in the Ahmednagar District. Fr. Slapsys was a very shy person and consequently very sensitive to praises. He very rarely spoke about himself and refused to answer questions about his person, relations and achievements, a good administrator, he prepared his sermons well and his catechism classes methodically. He was also very systematic in keeping records of the names and families he visited, the sacraments administered, etc. he was very faithful to his prayer life, loyal to the Society of Jesus and was known for his great charity.  

Fr. Slapsys was laid to rest in the Holy Spirit Church compound, Shevgaon in the presence of a large member of people and priests from the Pune and Nashik Dioceses. God grant him eternal rest!