Eustachy Wołłowicz

Eustachy Wołłowicz (Lithuanian: Eustachijus Valavičius; 1572–1630) was Bishop of Vilnius in 1616–1630. He was one of the more accomplished bishops of Vilnius in the 17th century.

A son of the Protestant father and Eastern Orthodox mother, Wołłowicz became a Catholic and was educated at the Jesuit Academy of Vilnius and the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome and was ordained as a priest. In 1600, Wołłowicz became a member of the Vilnius cathedral chapter and provost (praepositus) of Trakai. At the same time, entered the court of the Grand Duke Sigismund III Vasa becoming a referendary (a type of judge; 1600–1615), later royal secretary (1605–1615) and deputy chancellor (1615–1618). He was known as a skilled diplomat and politician. He became bishop of Vilnius after the death of Benedykt Woyna in 1615. As bishop, Wołłowicz organized three diocesan synods (1618, 1623, and 1626). He was supportive of the various religious orders and helped them establish new monasteries. He personally invited Canons Regular of the Lateran to Antakalnis, a suburb of Vilnius. In a 1625 report to the pope, he claimed that during his nine-year tenure as bishop, there were more than 40 new Catholic churches and 27 new monasteries established in the diocese. Despite his reputation of a sincerely religious man, he was known for his tolerant attitude towards the Protestants and support of the Ruthenian Uniate Church.

During his ad limina visit to Rome in 1620–1621, Wołłowicz obtained papal approval for the feast of Saint Casimir and discussed the proposed new faculties of law and medicine at the Jesuit Academy of Vilnius. He swapped his chapel at Vilnius Cathedral with that of the royal family so that the new Chapel of Saint Casimir could be built. He redecorated the old royal chapel and it is still known as the Wołłowicz Chapel. He was also known for his taste in art and made donations to several Catholic churches and monasteries, including Vilnius Cathedral, Church of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Trakai, Benedictine abbey in Lubiń, Benedictine Monastery in Tytuvėnai.