Elena Spirgevičiūtė

Elena Spirgevičiūtė (22 December 1924 – 4 January 1944) was a Lithuanian student. She was shot and killed by Soviet partisans for resisting rape. One of the four men, Alfonsas Čeponis was posthumously recognized as the Hero of the Soviet Union. She was a devoted Catholic and is recognized as a Servant of God. Her beatification case was initiated by the Archdiocese of Kaunas in 2000.

Biography Spirgevičiūtė was born in Kaunas into a family of Lithuanian workers. She was the oldest of three children. She began attending school at the age of seven and later joined the scouts movement. After finishing her primary studies, Elena was enrolled at the Saulė Society Girls' Gymnasium of Kaunas, directed by the Sisters of Saint Casimir. During the school years, she kept a diary from 2 October 1940 to 2 June 1942 which reflected her ordinary day-to-day life and connection to God.