Pavasarininkai

Pavasarininkai was the informal name for members of Lithuanian Catholic Youth Federation "Spring" (Lithuanian: Lietuvių katalikų jaunimo federacija „Pavasaris“), a Lithuanian Catholic youth organization. It was active from 1912 until the Soviet occupation of Lithuania in 1940. It grew from various informal groups established around the Pavasaris magazine, first published in May 1912. It was based in Kaunas, but most members were active in various rural locations across Lithuania. With more than 90,000 members and 1,200 groups in 1940, it was one of the largest and most popular organizations in interwar Lithuania. Its motto was "For God and Fatherland" and it organized various events (conferences, lectures, spiritual exercises, concerts, song festivals, theater performances, sports competitions, etc.) to educate the youth in the Catholic spirit and develop their national pride. Pavasarininkai were supported by local clergy and the Catholic hierarchy but were frowned upon by the authoritarian regime of President Antanas Smetona. It was similar to and closely cooperated with the Catholic Youth Federation Ateitis.