Archdiocese of Vilnius

---

Bishop(s) Gintaras Linas Grušas, Archbishop Arūnas Poniškaitis, Auxiliary Bishop Darius Trijonis, Auxiliary Bishop Audrys Juozas Bačkis, Cardinal, Archbishop Emeritus Suffragan Dioceses Kaišiadorys Panevėžys

General Information Type of Jurisdiction: Archdiocese Elevated: 28 October 1925 Metropolitan See Depends on: Dicastery for Bishops Rite: Latin (or Roman) Country: Lithuania Square Kilometers: 9,644 (3,724 Square Miles) Official Web Site: http://vilnius.lcn.lt/ Mailing Address: Sventaragio 4, LT-01122 Vilnius, Lietuva Telephone: (5)262.70.98; 212.36.53 Fax: 212.28.07

Historical Details

• Diocese of Vilnius
  • Latin Name: Vilnensis
  • Erected: 14th Century
  • Metropolitan: Archdiocese of Mohilev
  • Country: Lithuania

---

Past and Present Ordinaries

• Christian † ( 1253 Appointed - 1268 Appointed, Auxiliary Bishop of Naumburg)
• André (Andrzej) Wasilo (Jastrzębiec), O.F.M. † ( 1386 Appointed - 14 Nov 1398 Died)
• Jakub Plichta, O.F.M. † (5 May 1399 Appointed - 7 Feb 1407 Died)
• Mikołaj Gorzkowski † ( 1408 Appointed - 1414 Died)
• Maciej z Trok † (4 May 1422 Appointed - 9 May 1453 Died)
• Mikołaj Dzierżkowicz † (17 Oct 1453 Appointed - 29 Sep 1467 Died)
• Jan Łesowicz † (4 May 1468 Appointed - 6 Feb 1481 Died)
• Andrzej Szeliga † (27 Aug 1481 Appointed - 1491 Died)
• Wojciech Tabor † (11 Apr 1492 Appointed - 27 Mar 1507 Died)
• Wojciech Radziwiłł † (10 Sep 1507 Appointed - 19 Apr 1519 Died)
• Jan (Janusz) z Książąt Litewskich † (23 Sep 1519 Appointed - 15 Mar 1536 Appointed, Bishop of Poznań)
• Paweł Algimunt Holszański † (15 Mar 1536 Appointed - 4 Sep 1555 Died)
• Walerian Protosewicz † (10 Apr 1556 Appointed - 1579 Died)
• Jerzy Radziwiłł † (31 Dec 1579 Succeeded - 9 Aug 1591 Appointed, Bishop of Kraków)
• Bernard Maciejowski † (1 Sep 1597 Appointed - 23 May 1600 Appointed, Bishop of Kraków)
• Benedykt Woyna (Wojna) † (31 Jul 1600 Appointed - 22 Oct 1615 Died)
• Eustachy Wołłowicz † (18 May 1616 Appointed - 6 Jan 1630 Died)
• Abraham Wojna † (24 Mar 1631 Appointed - 14 Apr 1649 Died)
• Jerzy Tyszkiewicz † (9 Dec 1649 Appointed - 17 Jan 1656 Died)
• Jan Karol Dowgiałło Zawisza † (16 Oct 1656 Appointed - 9 Mar 1661 Died)
• Jerzy Białłozor † (21 Nov 1661 Appointed - 17 May 1665 Died)
• Aleksander Kazimierz Sapieha † (18 Jul 1667 Appointed - 22 May 1671 Died)
• Mikołaj Stefan Pac † (11 Aug 1673 Appointed - 8 May 1684 Died)
• Aleksander Michał Kotowicz † (9 Apr 1685 Appointed - 30 Nov 1686 Died)
• Konstanty Kazimierz Brzostowski † (24 Nov 1687 Appointed - 24 Oct 1722 Died)
• Maciej Józef Ancuta † (24 Oct 1722 Succeeded - 18 Jan 1723 Died)
• Karol Piotr Pancerzyński † (11 Sep 1724 Confirmed - 19 Feb 1729 Died)
• Michał Jan Zienkowicz † (2 Oct 1730 Confirmed - 23 Jan 1762 Died)
• Ignacy Jakub Massalski † (29 Mar 1762 Confirmed - 28 Jun 1794 Died)
• Jan Nepomucen Kossakowski † (17 Nov 1798 Appointed - 8 Oct 1808 Died)
• Hieronim Stojnowski (Stroynowski) † (26 Sep 1814 Appointed - 17 Aug 1815 Died)
• Andrzej Benedykt Kłągiewicz † (14 Dec 1840 Appointed - 27 Dec 1841 Died)
• Wacław Żyliński † (3 Jul 1848 Appointed - 18 Sep 1856 Appointed, Archbishop of Mohilev)
• Adam Stanisław Krasiński, Sch. P. † (27 Sep 1858 Appointed - 15 Mar 1883 Resigned)
• Karol Hryniewicki † (15 Mar 1883 Appointed - 28 Dec 1889 Resigned)
• Antoni Franciszek Audziewicz † (30 Dec 1889 Appointed - 10 Jun 1895 Died)
• Stefan Aleksander Zwierowicz † (2 Aug 1897 Appointed - 17 Sep 1902 Appointed, Bishop of Sandomierz)
• Eduard Baron von der Ropp † (9 Nov 1903 Appointed - 25 Jul 1917 Appointed, Archbishop of Mohilev)
• Bl. Jerzy Bolesław Matulewicz-Matulaitis, M.I.C. † (23 Oct 1918 Appointed - 1 Sep 1925 Resigned)
• Jan Feliks Cieplak † (14 Dec 1925 Appointed - 17 Feb 1926 Died)
• Romuald Jałbrzykowski † (24 Jun 1926 Appointed - 19 Jun 1955 Died)
• Julijonas Steponavičius † (10 Mar 1989 Appointed - 18 Jun 1991 Died)
• Audrys Juozas Bačkis (24 Dec 1991 Appointed - 5 Apr 2013 Retired)
• Gintaras Linas Grušas (5 Apr 2013 Appointed - )

---

Historical Summary

Date	Event	From	To
Diocese of Vilnius
14th Century	Erected		Diocese of Vilnius (erected)
1417	Territory Lost	Diocese of Vilnius	Diocese of Žemaičiai (Samogizia o Tels; Żmudź) (erected)
1655	Suppressed	Diocese of Vilnius (suppressed)	Diocese of Curland
17 November 1798	Territory Added	Diocese of Inflanty (Livonia)-Pilten (suppressed)	Diocese of Vilnius
1799	Territory Lost	Diocese of Vilnius	Diocese of Wigry (erected)
Archdiocese of Vilnius
28 October 1925	Elevated	Diocese of Vilnius	Archdiocese of Vilnius
4 April 1926	Territory Lost	Archdiocese of Vilnius (Giedraitens, Malėtens, Merkinens, Stakliškens, and Žaslens)	Diocese of Kaišiadorys (erected)
13 April 1991	Territory Lost	Diocese of Łomża (7 parishes) Diocese of Pinsk (4 parishes) Archdiocese of Vilnius (119 parishes)	Diocese of Grodno (erected) (Grodno)
5 June 1991	Territory Lost	Archdiocese of Vilnius	Diocese of Białystok (erected)

---

Statistics

Year	Catholics	Total Population	Percent Catholic	Diocesan Priests	Religious Priests	Total Priests	Catholics Per Priest	Permanent Deacons	Male Religious	Female Religious	Parishes	Source
Archdiocese of Vilnius
1950	1,031,000	2,300,000	44.8%	570	25	595	1,732		53	150	442	ap1951
1970	287,945	368,813	78.1%	239	5	244	1,180		11	147	60	ap1971
1980	331,589	427,404	77.6%	258	7	265	1,251		10	117	71	ap1981
1987		800,000	.0%	94	9	103	0		9		87	ap1991
1999	600,000	845,500	71.0%	104	35	139	4,316	1	40	221	89	ap2000
2000	598,000	886,200	67.5%	106	33	139	4,302	1	34	220	90	ap2001
2001	502,400	867,200	57.9%	114	39	153	3,283	1	42	215	91	ap2002
2002	470,000	808,700	58.1%	115	38	153	3,071	1	43	222	93	ap2003
2003	573,000	814,000	70.4%	116	38	154	3,720	1	41	226	93	ap2004
2004	570,000	810,000	70.4%	111	42	153	3,725	1	47	220	94	ap2005
2010	565,620	857,745	65.9%	126	45	171	3,307	1	60	198	96	ap2011
2014	558,847	773,406	72.3%	131	44	175	3,193		54	172	95	ap2015
2017	605,108	827,141	73.2%	137	37	174	3,477		50	167	95	ap2018
2020	655,229	844,585	77.6%	132	36	168	3,900		56	159	97	ap2021
2022	661,455	835,036	79.2%	129	33	162	4,083		53	147	97	ap2023

Note: Any changes in boundaries over time are not indicated in the above table.

---

Affiliated Bishops, Living

• Audrys Juozas Bačkis (Archbishop: 24 Dec 1991 to 5 Apr 2013)
• Saulius Bužauskas (Deacon: 20 Jan 2007; Priest: 12 Apr 2008 to 27 Feb 2023)
• Henryk Ciereszko (Priest: 14 Jun 1981 to 5 Jun 1991)
• Gintaras Linas Grušas (Priest: 25 Jun 1994 to 19 Jun 2010; Archbishop: 5 Apr 2013 - )
• Walenty Gryk, S.V.D.
• Krzysztof Nitkiewicz (Priest: 19 Jun 1985 to 5 Jun 1991)
• Edward Ozorowski (Priest: 21 Jun 1964; Auxiliary Bishop: 31 Jan 1979 to 5 Jun 1991)
• Arūnas Poniškaitis (Auxiliary Bishop: 5 Feb 2010)
• Darius Trijonis (Auxiliary Bishop: 29 Sep 2017)

  ---

Affiliated Bishops, Deceased

• Georges Albinus † (Auxiliary Bishop: 5 Nov 1550)
• Georgius Casimirus Ancuta † (Auxiliary Bishop: 27 Sep 1723 to 26 Sep 1737)
• Maciej Józef Ancuta † (Auxiliary Bishop: 1 Oct 1710; Coadjutor Bishop: 14 Jun 1717; Bishop: 24 Oct 1722 to 18 Jan 1723)
• Antoni Franciszek Audziewicz † (Bishop: 30 Dec 1889 to 10 Jun 1895)
• Jerzy Białłozor † (Bishop: 21 Nov 1661 to 17 May 1665)
• Jonas Algimantas Boruta, S.J. † (Auxiliary Bishop: 28 May 1997 to 5 Jan 2002)
• Ludwik Bartłomiej Brynk †
• Konstanty Kazimierz Brzostowski † (Bishop: 24 Nov 1687 to 24 Oct 1722)
• Kazimierz Bukraba † (Priest: 2 Feb 1909 to 10 Jul 1932)
• Andrzej Chołoniewski † (Auxiliary Bishop: 20 Aug 1804 to 1819)
• Jan Feliks Cieplak † (Archbishop: 14 Dec 1925 to 17 Feb 1926)
• Jan Kajetan Cywiński † (Auxiliary Bishop: 17 Dec 1840 to 17 Nov 1846)
• Amand Wiktoryn Czeszejko, O.P. †
• Jakub Ignacy Dederko †
• Kazimierz Roch Dmochowski † (Auxiliary Bishop: 17 Dec 1840 to 3 Jul 1848)
• Jan Karol Dowgiałło Zawisza † (Bishop: 16 Oct 1656 to 9 Mar 1661)
• Ignacy Maria Dubowski †
• Mikołaj Dzierżkowicz † (Bishop: 17 Oct 1453 to 29 Sep 1467)
• Jan Stefan Giedroyć † (Auxiliary Bishop: 22 Aug 1763 to 22 Apr 1765)
• Melchior Giedroyć †
• Mikołaj Gorzkowski † (Bishop: 1408 to 1414)
• Bogusław Korwin Gosiewski † (Auxiliary Bishop: 20 Apr 1722 to 29 Jan 1725)
• Henryk Roman Gulbinowicz † (Priest: 18 Jun 1950; Apostolic Administrator: 12 Jan 1970 to 3 Jan 1976)
• Paweł Algimunt Holszański † (Bishop: 15 Mar 1536 to 4 Sep 1555)
• Aleksander Mikołaj Horain † (Priest: 9 Apr 1678; Auxiliary Bishop: 15 Sep 1704 to 23 Dec 1711)
• Ignacy Houwalt † (Auxiliary Bishop: 20 Aug 1804 to 5 May 1807)
• Karol Hryniewicki † (Bishop: 15 Mar 1883 to 28 Dec 1889)
• Wojciech Izdebski † (Auxiliary Bishop: 18 Jun 1696 to 3 Nov 1702)
• Romuald Jałbrzykowski † (Archbishop: 24 Jun 1926 to 19 Jun 1955)
• Franciszek Alojzy Junosza Gzowski † (Deacon: 17 Apr 1756; Priest: 12 Jun 1756; Auxiliary Bishop: 23 Sep 1782 to 1786)
• Feliks z Kazimierza, O.P. † (Auxiliary Bishop: 17 Apr 1532 to 22 Apr 1554)
• Edward Kisiel † (Deacon: 1941; Priest: 14 Feb 1943; Apostolic Administrator: 3 May 1976 to 5 Jun 1991)
• Andrzej Benedykt Kłągiewicz † (Auxiliary Bishop: 15 Mar 1830; Bishop: 14 Dec 1840 to 27 Dec 1841)
• Gabriel (Havrylo) Kolenda, O.S.B.M. †
• Jan Nepomucen Kossakowski † (Bishop: 17 Nov 1798 to 8 Oct 1808)
• Józef Kazimierz Kossakowski † (Auxiliary Bishop: 13 Mar 1775 to 17 Sep 1781; Coadjutor Bishop: 19 Dec 1791 to 9 May 1794)
• Aleksander Michał Kotowicz † (Bishop: 9 Apr 1685 to 30 Nov 1686)
• Eustachy Stanisław Kotowicz † (Deacon: 12 Jun 1661; Priest: 26 Jun 1661 to 17 May 1688)
• Adam Stanisław Krasiński, Sch. P. † (Bishop: 27 Sep 1858 to 15 Mar 1883)
• Jonas Jeronimas Krišpinas † (Auxiliary Bishop: 30 Aug 1694 to 19 Sep 1695)
• Jan (Janusz) z Książąt Litewskich † (Bishop: 23 Sep 1519 to 15 Mar 1536)
• Tadeusz Kundzicz † (Auxiliary Bishop: 10 Jul 1815 to 15 Jan 1829)
• Jan Łesowicz † (Bishop: 4 May 1468 to 6 Feb 1481)
• Hieronim Wladysław Lubartowicz de Kowel Sanguszko, S.J. † (Auxiliary Bishop: 12 Dec 1644 to 31 May 1655)
• Bernard Maciejowski † (Bishop: 1 Sep 1597 to 23 May 1600)
• Ignacy Jakub Massalski † (Bishop: 29 Mar 1762 to 28 Jun 1794)
• Edward Henryk Materski † (Priest: 20 May 1947 to 29 Oct 1968)
• Juozapas Matulaitis-Labukas †
• Bl. Jerzy Bolesław Matulewicz-Matulaitis, M.I.C. † (Bishop: 23 Oct 1918 to 1 Sep 1925)
• Kazimierz Mikolaj Michalkiewicz † (Priest: 23 Oct 1888; Auxiliary Bishop: 12 Jan 1923 to 16 Feb 1940)
• Stanislaw Nieborski † (Auxiliary Bishop: 12 Jun 1634 to 27 May 1644)
• Ludwik Karol Ogiński †
• Mikołaj Stefan Pac † (Administrator: 11 Aug 1673; Bishop: 25 May 1682 to 8 May 1684)
• Nicolas Pac † (Auxiliary Bishop: 9 Sep 1602 to 29 Mar 1610)
• Kazimieras Paltarokas † (Apostolic Administrator: 9 Aug 1949 to 8 Dec 1957)
• Karol Piotr Pancerzyński † (Auxiliary Bishop: 5 Oct 1712 to 31 May 1721; Bishop: 11 Sep 1724 to 19 Feb 1729)
• Petras Parčevskis †
• David Pilchowski † (Auxiliary Bishop: 1 Jun 1795 to 22 Dec 1803)
• Jakub Plichta, O.F.M. † (Bishop: 5 May 1399 to 7 Feb 1407)
• Georges Połubiński † (Auxiliary Bishop: 27 Jun 1796 to 1801)
• Walerian Protosewicz † (Bishop: 10 Apr 1556 to 1579)
• Nikodem Puzyna † (Auxiliary Bishop: 26 Sep 1814 to 22 Oct 1819)
• Jerzy Radziwiłł † (Coadjutor Bishop: 18 Dec 1574; Bishop: 31 Dec 1579 to 9 Aug 1591)
• Wojciech Radziwiłł † (Bishop: 10 Sep 1507 to 19 Apr 1519)
• Mečislovas Reinys † (Coadjutor Bishop: 5 Apr 1926; Archbishop (Personal Title), Auxiliary: 18 Jul 1940 to 8 Nov 1953)
• Aleksander Kazimierz Sapieha † (Auxiliary Bishop: 2 Aug 1655 to 12 Jan 1660; Bishop: 18 Jul 1667 to 22 May 1671)
• Józef Julian Stanisław Sapieha † (Coadjutor Bishop: 12 Jan 1737 to 4 Dec 1754)
• Adam Sawicki † (Priest: 2 May 1908; Apostolic Administrator: 23 Nov 1962 to 20 May 1968)
• Dominico Sienieński †
• Stanislaw Jan Siestrzencewicz Bohusz † (Deacon: 12 Jun 1763; Priest: 3 Jul 1763; Auxiliary Bishop: 12 Jul 1773 to 11 Dec 1783)
• Vladislaus Silnicki † (Auxiliary Bishop: 15 Feb 1683 to 8 Feb 1692)
• Theodorus Skuminowicz (Skumin) † (Auxiliary Bishop: 12 Aug 1652 to 24 Sep 1668)
• Mikolaj Słupski † (Auxiliary Bishop: 3 Jun 1669 to 1691)
• Julijonas Steponavičius † (Priest: 21 Jun 1936 to 22 May 1955; Apostolic Administrator: 8 Dec 1957; Archbishop: 10 Mar 1989 to 18 Jun 1991)
• Hieronim Stojnowski (Stroynowski) † (Bishop: 26 Sep 1814 to 17 Aug 1815)
• Władysław Suszyński † (Auxiliary Bishop: 19 Jan 1948; Apostolic Administrator: 3 Jul 1968 to 27 Oct 1968)
• Jan Feliks Szaniawski †
• Andrzej Szeliga † (Bishop: 27 Aug 1481 to 1491)
• Wojciech Tabor † (Bishop: 11 Apr 1492 to 27 Mar 1507)
• Piotr Aleksander Samson Toczyłowski † (Auxiliary Bishop: 23 Sep 1782 to 14 Dec 1793)
• Tadeusz Benedykt Feliks Towiański, O.F.M. Conv. † (Auxiliary Bishop: 1 Dec 1766 - )
• Maciej z Trok † (Bishop: 4 May 1422 to 9 May 1453)
• Martien Tryzna † (Coadjutor Bishop: 28 Feb 1639 to Jul 1643)
• Juozas Tunaitis † (Auxiliary Bishop: 8 May 1991 to 4 Mar 2010)
• Jerzy Tyszkiewicz † (Auxiliary Bishop: 17 May 1627 to 19 Dec 1633; Bishop: 9 Dec 1649 to 17 Jan 1656)
• Gothard Jan Tyzenhaus † (Auxiliary Bishop: 5 Apr 1661 to 17 Sep 1668)
• Eduard Baron von der Ropp † (Bishop: 9 Nov 1903 to 25 Jul 1917)
• André (Andrzej) Wasilo (Jastrzębiec), O.F.M. † (Bishop: 1386 to 14 Nov 1398)
• Cyprian Wiliński (Wiliski), O.P. † (Auxiliary Bishop: 3 Mar 1572 to 15 May 1594)
• Felix Wiliński (Wiliski), O.P. † (Auxiliary Bishop: 1554)
• Abraham Wojna † (Auxiliary Bishop: 25 May 1611 to 20 Jul 1626; Bishop: 24 Mar 1631 to 14 Apr 1649)
• Adam Wojtkiewicz † (Deacon: 9 Mar 1819; Priest: 16 Mar 1819 to 18 Mar 1852)
• Eustachy Wołłowicz † (Bishop: 18 May 1616 to 6 Jan 1630)
• Benedykt Woyna (Wojna) † (Bishop: 31 Jul 1600 to 22 Oct 1615)
• Ludwik Feliks Zdanowicz † (Auxiliary Bishop: 30 Dec 1889 to 26 Dec 1896)
• Jan Mikołaj Zgierski † (Auxiliary Bishop: 2 Jan 1696 to 25 Jan 1706)
• Michał Jan Zienkowicz † (Bishop: 2 Oct 1730 to 23 Jan 1762)
• Tomasz Ignacy Zienkowicz † (Auxiliary Bishop: 21 Jul 1755 to 19 Nov 1781)
• Antoni Józef Żółkowski † (Auxiliary Bishop: 7 Dec 1744 to 19 Jan 1763)
• Stefan Aleksander Zwierowicz † (Bishop: 2 Aug 1897 to 17 Sep 1902)
• Wacław Żyliński † (Bishop: 3 Jul 1848 to 18 Sep 1856)
• Christian † (Bishop: 1253 to 1268)

Source(s)

Diocese of Vilnius Hierarchia Catholica, Volume 1, Page 529 Hierarchia Catholica, Volume 2, Page 269 Hierarchia Catholica, Volume 3, Page 334 Hierarchia Catholica, Volume 4, Page 369, and Page 370 Hierarchia Catholica, Volume 5, Page 416 Hierarchia Catholica, Volume 6, Page 442, and Page 443 Hierarchia Catholica, Volume 7, Page 397 Hierarchia Catholica, Volume 8, Page 591, and Page 592 Series Episcoporum Ecclesiae Catholicae, Volume 1, Page 360 Archdiocese of Vilnius Acta Apostolicae Sedis, Volume 17, Page 521, to Page 528 Acta Apostolicae Sedis, Volume 84, Page 274, and Page 275

Home | Countries | Religious Orders | Popes | Holy See | Roman Curia | Cardinals by Rank Bishops: All | Living | Deceased | Youngest | Oldest | Cardinal Electors Dioceses: All | Current Only | Titular | Vacant | Structured View Events: Overview | Recent | by Date | by Year | Necrology Ad Limina | Conclaves | Consistories | Councils Eastern Catholic Churches
About Catholic-Hierarchy		Terminology/Site Help
		Copyright David M. Cheney, 1996-2024 Code: web_d, v3.4.6, 4 Feb 2024; Data: 14 Apr 2024

✠