Home of priest Juozas Zdebskis (1929 –1986)

Homeland

Juozas Zdebskis was a priest, one of the most famous post-war dissidents of the 20th century and a fighter for the rights of believers. He was ordained a priest in 1952. In 1964, he was imprisoned in Lukiškės for 1 year. In 1969, at the initiative of the authorities, the priest’s certificate was temporarily withdrawn. In 1978 he founded the TTGKK. He was persecuted by the KGB and suffered chemical burns in 1980. He is believed to have died in a car accident as a victim of the KGB. He is buried in the churchyard of Rudamina Church. In 1999, a chapel was built in the village of Naujiena in memory of priest J. Zdedskis.