As the year comes to a close, it is a natural time to review our work, evaluate our achievements, and cherish moments of community. University life, full of academic challenges and discoveries, also has another side that is often unseen but incredibly important—the spiritual one. We spoke with Chaplain Andres Lavin about what this year was like for the VILNIUS TECH community from the perspective of pastoral care.
In our conversation, the chaplain shares his thoughts on the most significant events, the sentiments of students and faculty, key achievements, and the goals for the upcoming year that will inspire the community to grow and become stronger.
– The past year at the university has been intense. If you had to single out one or two events, projects, or initiatives that were the most vivid and meaningful for you as a chaplain this year, what would they be?
– Interestingly, my main work as a chaplain takes place not on the university campus, but on Sunday afternoons in a church in Vilnius's Old Town. There, I celebrate Mass for students, hear confessions, or discuss spiritual matters with them. It is often where I meet university students with whom I begin to connect, and we later meet in my office in Saulėtekis or on Trakų Street. Also very important to me were the Mass I celebrated for the academic community on All Souls' Day, and the lecture on science and faith given by Saulius Matulevičius last April at the Saulėtekis campus building.
– Pastoral care at a university is often an unseen work. What achievements this year—perhaps unexpected or small, but important—are you most pleased with? What went better than you planned?
– That’s very true; a large part of the fruits of pastoral work is invisible—helping those who are lost find their way, offering hope and joy to the tired or discouraged, and encouraging those who can do more than they think. For me, it is a great success (because it is so in God's eyes) when a person comes to confession after many years or when a process of personal conversion begins.
I was also very happy to be invited to participate in academic activities. For example, last February, at a conference on addiction organized by psychologists who assist students, I spoke on a relevant topic: how different forms of addiction affect the loss of inner freedom.
– A university is a constantly changing community. What sentiments among students and faculty did you notice this year? What topics were most relevant to them, and what were the most common reasons they sought a conversation?
– It's interesting to note that while the university and people's situations change, people themselves do not fundamentally change. Nearly everyone's dreams, challenges, and worries are similar because human nature is constant. Of course, in Lithuania, we are experiencing the tragedy of the war in Ukraine very deeply, and this influences the topics of conversation. For example, some people ask whether, from a moral standpoint, it is permissible to leave the country and settle elsewhere in the face of an imminent war, or if it is necessary to stay and risk one's own life and the lives of one's family.
Another common topic is screen addiction, which leads to the impoverishment of personal relationships. These relationships are always important, especially in youth.
– You organized various activities this year. Which ones saw the greatest student involvement?
– The Mass for All Souls' Day attracted the most people. This seems logical, as people see a concrete opportunity to remember and pray for their deceased relatives and loved ones. The lecture on faith and science also drew considerable interest from both students and faculty. People seek to understand how these two aspects of reality not only do not contradict each other but can coexist in perfect harmony because God is the sole Creator of all reality—both the visible (the object of science) and the invisible (the object of faith).
– Looking ahead to the coming year, what are your main priorities and pastoral goals? Where would you like to focus most of your attention?
– Next year, I would like to organize volunteering activities for students, as many have expressed a desire for it. Many people want to feel useful, to help the sick, the disabled, and lonely seniors. We are currently considering various possibilities. In any case, it would be an activity open to all interested students, not just Catholics or Christians.
I would also like to visit all the dean's offices and meet with the academic leadership of each faculty. So far, I have only met with some of them, so there are still many more to see.
Another dream of mine for the coming year is for more university students to participate in the Alpha course—an introductory course on faith and the Christian life. All of our university students who have taken this course have been very satisfied, and a significant number of them stay on as volunteers to help the next group of participants.
– Are you planning any innovations—perhaps new event formats, discussion series, or collaborative projects—that you could announce to the university community?
– Besides the volunteering activities, I would like to start teaching. It would be an elective course for students. I am an economist—that was my civil profession before I began my studies for the priesthood—and later, in my ecclesiastical studies, I specialized in philosophical anthropology and ethics. It is possible that next academic year I will teach a course related to these fields. I would be very happy to do so, as it would allow me to meet new students and maintain direct contact with them.
– In your view, what is most lacking in the modern academic person, and how do you plan to help address that need in the coming year?
– I believe there is a lack of greater love for serious study and work. There is a lack of a spirit of sacrifice and, ultimately, a love for the truth.
We live in a society that highly values what is fast, useful, and yields immediately visible results. If those results are not achieved, disappointment and sadness follow. Many people believe that their value as individuals depends on their successes and results, and they become disheartened when they do not see quick fruits.
Furthermore, things that provide short-term gratification are highly valued. Many personal decisions are made based on preferences and emotions rather than reason. It is essential to confront these issues in personal conversations. However, I admit that some things, such as a love for truth or effort, are not easy to understand without the perspective of faith.
– As a person and a priest, how do you "recharge" after an active year to have the energy to be a pillar of support for others again next year?
– I love to read and listen to music, and I also enjoy sports, especially cycling. To be honest, however, what truly refreshes me most are the moments I spend daily in the chapel, speaking with the Lord present in the Eucharist. There, at the altar, I leave my fatigue, worries, and difficulties. To stop thinking about myself and to think about God (and especially to talk with Him about what troubles and weighs us down), who is much greater than all our problems and worries, is very calming.
– What would be your main message or wish for the university community—students, faculty, and staff—as we welcome the New Year?
My main message to the university community is one of hope and peace. In the polarized world we live in today, it is crucial to create and foster a culture of dialogue, respect, humility, and the search for truth—a culture that the academic community can and must practice.
To believers, I would like to say: have hope, because God is at work and intervenes in history, despite all the difficulties and evils we see in the world. Saint Paul says, "For those who love God, all things work for good." And Saint Augustine comments, "All things—that means evil too." God is all-powerful, which means that even from evil itself, He can bring forth great good. Therefore, the Christian view of the world is not catastrophic, but hopeful.
Merry Christmas and a Happy 2025!
All members of the community seeking answers related to faith and spirituality can contact Father Andres Lavin for matters of pastoral care and spiritual support. He can also be consulted regarding baptism, confession, marriage, or other sacraments.
You can meet with him:
- On Tuesdays at Saulėtekio al. 11, S3 building, Room 102, from 12:00 PM to 2:30 PM.
- On Thursdays at Trakų g. 1, V 327, from 11:30 AM to 2:30 PM.
You can find more information about pastoral care at the university here.
