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Juozapas Montvila was a priest and press officer who performed his soulful duty on the sinking ship Titanic until his death. He studied at Marijampole Gymnasium, Seinai Seminary of Priests. In 1908 he was ordained a priest and appointed to the parish of Augustavas Dean Lipsk. For secret spiritual service to units, the Tsarist authorities punished him: he was deprived to hold any position in pastoral. He edited the magazine “Šaltinis” published in Seinai, wrote sermons to the publication “Vadovas” for priests, and painted illustrations for some newspapers and books in Vilnius.

 Unable to perform the duties of a priest in Lithuania, he went to England. He was believed to have travelled to the US to work in the Atolas parish. The Titanic sailed across the Atlantic, which sank when it collided with an iceberg. On a sinking ship, he gave way to others, listened to confessions, comforted and reassured passengers until his death. In 2012, a monumental stone was unveiled at the site of Montvilai homestead in Nendriniškis.