Priest Seminary located on the other side of the river Nemunas than the mainland of Lithuania had a huge historical and cultural significance. The institution was teaching priests who took care of Catholic issues as well as propagated and disseminated national consciousness. Priest Seminary in Seinai was the mainstay of the Lithuanian. After limiting the activities of the seminar by the Polish authorities and the removal of Bishop Antanas Karosas, the seminary moved to a manor in Zypliai. In 1922 it was transferred to the village Gižai, where the new phase in its operations began. In 1930 the seminary was moved to Vilkaviškis. When it was closed by the Soviet authorities in 1944, the seminarians were trained at the seminary in Kaunas. In addition, there was one more secret priest seminary in Lithuania. When Vilkaviškis diocese was created and Juozas Žemaitis became the bishop of the diocese, the idea to revive activity of Priest Seminary in Vilkaviškis arose. This was done in 1999. The new seminary was named Blessed Jurgis Matulaitis’. The seminary started its activities on September 4, 1999 and led them until the summer of 2005. The seminarians were transferred to Priest Seminary in Kaunas (due to the small number of the seminarians, the educational process in Marijampolė was not possible).
