The

Blessed Blessed may refer to: * The state of having received a blessing * Blessed, a title assigned by the Roman Catholic Church to someone who has been beatified Film and television * ''Blessed'' (2004 film), a 2004 motion picture about a supernatural ...

Vitas, O.P., or Wit (died ca. 1269) was a

Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken *Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin screenwr ...

Dominican friar from the

Kraków Kraków (), or Cracow, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city dates back to the seventh century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland until 1596 ...

convent and the first

bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

in Lithuania (1253–1255). Little is known about his origins, early career or his episcopal work. It is likely that he was a student of the first Polish Dominican, Hyacinth of Poland. Following the conversion to Christianity and coronation of King

Mindaugas Mindaugas (german: Myndowen, la, Mindowe, orv, Мендог, be, Міндоўг, pl, Mendog, c. 1203–1263) is the first known Grand Duke of Lithuania and the only crowned King of Lithuania. Little is known of his origins, early life, or r ...

during the summer of 1253, there was some delay in appointing a bishop for the

Grand Duchy of Lithuania The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a European state that existed from the 13th century to 1795, when the territory was partitioned among the Russian Empire, the Kingdom of Prussia, and the Habsburg Empire of Austria. The state was founded by Li ...

due to political intrigues. In October or November 1253, Pełka, Bishop of Gniezno, consecrated Wit ( lt, Vitas) and tasked him with the conversion of the Lithuanian people. However, he was not recognized by Mindaugas or accepted by the populace and his activities in Lithuania are unknown, although he is sometimes associated with Mindaugas' Cathedral.Rowell, C. S. (1994-06-24). Lithuania Ascending: A Pagan Empire Within East-central Europe, 1295–1345. Cambridge University Press
pp. 302–304
In 1254, the priest Christian ( lt, Kristijonas), a member of the

Livonian Order The Livonian Order was an autonomous branch of the Teutonic Order, formed in 1237. From 1435 to 1561 it was a member of the Livonian Confederation. History The order was formed from the remnants of the Livonian Brothers of the Sword after the ...

, was appointed bishop and recognised by King Mindaugas with the grant of lands in Samogitia. In 1254, Vitas wrote to Pope Innocent IV about the deplorable conditions of Christians in Lithuania and asked for a transfer. On March 1, 1255, Pope Alexander IV granted Vitas' petition.Petkus, Viktoras (2004). Dominikonai Lietuvos kultūroje. Vilnius: Petro ofsetas. . pp. 43–44 After leaving Lithuania, the Pope appointed Vitas as an auxiliary bishop of the

Diocese of Wroclaw In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associate ...

, where he served till about 1260, when he was made auxiliary bishop in the Diocese of Poznan, at least until 1263.P. Nitecki: Biskupi Kościoła katolickiego w Polsce w latach 965-1999. Słownik biograficzny. Warszawa: Instytut Wydawniczy "Pax", 2000, p 483. Historian Jan Kurczewski believes that Vitas established a Dominican church and monastery in the city of

Lubcha Lubcha ( be, Любча, , russian: Любча, pl, Lubcz, yi, לובטש ''Lubtsh'') is a town near Neman River, in Belarus, Grodno Region, Novogrudok District, 23 km from Novogrudok. History Within the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Lubcha ...

, in present-day Belarus. Vitas is venerated as a "

blessed Blessed may refer to: * The state of having received a blessing * Blessed, a title assigned by the Roman Catholic Church to someone who has been beatified Film and television * ''Blessed'' (2004 film), a 2004 motion picture about a supernatural ...

" of the Order and there have been suggestions that he was

martyred A martyr (, ''mártys'', "witness", or , ''marturia'', stem , ''martyr-'') is someone who suffers persecution and death for advocating, renouncing, or refusing to renounce or advocate, a religious belief or other cause as demanded by an externa ...

References

{{authority control 13th-century births 1260s deaths Polish Roman Catholic missionaries 13th-century Roman Catholic bishops in Lithuania Dominican bishops Dominican beatified people Roman Catholic missionaries in Lithuania