# Gintaras Grušas > Roman Catholic archbishop **Wikidata**: [Q556421](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q556421) **Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gintaras_Grušas) **Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/gintaras-grusas ## Summary Gintaras Grušas is a Lithuanian-Polish Roman Catholic archbishop and former computer scientist born in Washington, D.C. He serves as the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Vilnius (since 2013) and previously led the Military Ordinariate of Lithuania (appointed 2010). He has a background as a university teacher and worked for IBM. ## Biography - Born: 1961-09-23, Washington, D.C., United States - Nationality: Poland; Lithuania - Education: University of California, Los Angeles; Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas; Franciscan University of Steubenville - Known for: Serving as Roman Catholic Archbishop of Vilnius and Bishop of the Military Ordinariate of Lithuania - Employer(s): IBM; academic affiliations (university teacher) - Field(s): Catholic Church leadership; computer science; mathematics; theology; higher education ## Contributions Gintaras Grušas has led significant ecclesiastical jurisdictions and combined a technical and academic background with church leadership. He was appointed to lead the Military Ordinariate of Lithuania with a start date indicated as 2010-06-19 and served as apostolic administrator of that ordinariate beginning 2013-04-23. He was named Roman Catholic Archbishop of Vilnius with a start date of 2013-04-05 and is recorded as a Catholic bishop from 2010-09-04. In the secular sphere he is recorded as having worked for IBM and is identified as a computer scientist and mathematician. He has also served as a university teacher and studied at UCLA, the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas, and Franciscan University of Steubenville. His episcopal consecration lists Audrys Bačkis as principal consecrator, with Sigitas Tamkevičius and Eugenijus Bartulis as co-consecrators. These roles represent concrete outcomes: governance of two major Catholic jurisdictions in Lithuania, formal episcopal consecration, and professional engagement in computing and higher education. ## FAQs ### Q: Who is Gintaras Grušas? A: Gintaras Grušas is a Roman Catholic archbishop who has served as the Archbishop of Vilnius since 2013 and previously led the Military Ordinariate of Lithuania. He also has a background as a computer scientist and university teacher. ### Q: When did he become Archbishop of Vilnius? A: He is recorded as beginning his role as Roman Catholic Archbishop of Vilnius on 2013-04-05. ### Q: What is his educational and professional background outside the Church? A: He studied at the University of California, Los Angeles; the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas; and Franciscan University of Steubenville. He is recorded as having worked for IBM and as a university teacher, and is identified as a computer scientist and mathematician. ## Why They Matter Gintaras Grušas occupies a central leadership role in the Catholic Church in Lithuania as Archbishop of Vilnius, a position that places him at the head of one of the country's principal dioceses. His prior appointment to the Military Ordinariate of Lithuania gave him responsibility for pastoral care and ecclesiastical governance for members of the armed forces. These two leadership posts mark him as a primary figure in Lithuania’s Catholic institutional structure. In addition, his documented background in computer science, mathematics, theology, and university teaching positions him at the intersection of technical, academic, and religious spheres. That combination is notable for bringing secular professional experience (including work at IBM) into senior church administration. His consecration by senior Lithuanian prelates anchors him in the national episcopal lineage. Without his leadership, the Archdiocese of Vilnius and the Military Ordinariate of Lithuania would have followed different pastoral and administrative directions; his mixed academic and professional profile contributes a distinctive perspective to ecclesiastical governance and education in Lithuania. ## Notable For - Serving as Roman Catholic Archbishop of Vilnius, start date recorded 2013-04-05. - Leading the Military Ordinariate of Lithuania, start date recorded 2010-06-19; apostolic administrator role from 2013-04-23. - Ordained a Catholic priest with a recorded start time of 1994-06-25. - Professional background as a computer scientist and employment at IBM. - Education at University of California, Los Angeles; Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas; and Franciscan University of Steubenville. ## Body ### Early life and identity - Born on 1961-09-23 in Washington, D.C. - Holds citizenship in Poland and Lithuania. - Languages: listed as Polish among languages spoken/written. ### Education - Educated at: - University of California, Los Angeles. - Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas. - Franciscan University of Steubenville. ### Academic and professional roles - Occupation entries record him as a university teacher. - Recorded as a computer scientist and mathematician. - Employer listed as IBM. ### Ecclesiastical career and positions - Ordained a Catholic priest with a recorded start time of 1994-06-25. - Appointed to lead the Military Ordinariate of Lithuania (position held; start_time 2010-06-19). - Recorded as a Catholic bishop from 2010-09-04. - Named Roman Catholic Archbishop of Vilnius with start_time 2013-04-05. - Served as apostolic administrator of the Military Ordinariate of Lithuania beginning 2013-04-23. ### Episcopal consecration - Principal consecrator: Audrys Bačkis. - Principal co-consecrators: Sigitas Tamkevičius and Eugenijus Bartulis. ### Identifiers and symbols - Commons image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/Gintaras_Grušas_2017.jpg (point in time 2017-11-12). - Coat of arms image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/Coat_of_arms_of_Gintaras_Linas_Grušas.svg. - Authority identifiers include VIAF, catholic-hierarchy person id "grusas", and entries in multiple national and academic authority files. ### Summary of roles - Combines roles in church leadership (Archbishop of Vilnius; Military Ordinariate head) with a documented background in computing, mathematics, theology, and higher education. ## References 1. Catholic-Hierarchy.org