Juozapas Skvireckas (18 September 1873 – 3 December 1959) was a Lithuanian archbishop of Kaunas (1926–1959).^[1]

Skvireckas was born in Pašilaičiai^[2] or near Pumpėnai.^[3] He attended high school in Panevėžys and the seminary at Žemaičių Kalvarija,^[3] and he was ordained in 1899.^[2] During the First World War, he performed pastoral duties in Smolensk and Tula.^[3] He was made a titular bishop in 1919, and in 1925 he became archbishop of Kaunas.^[2]

From 1911 to 1937, he translated the Bible into Lithuanian; it was published in six volumes by the Society of Saint Casimir.^[4] During the occupation of the Baltic States by the Nazis, Skvireckas and his assistant, Bishop Vincentas Brizgys, initially welcomed the Nazis.^[5] Skvireckas provided chaplains for Lithuanian-manned Nazi auxiliary units.^[6] Later, however, Skvireckas issued multiple protests to Nazi authorities regarding the conditions of the Catholic Church in Lithuania.^[7] He also sent reports to the Vatican, and in 1942 he started receiving instructions from the papal office.^[7] He intervened on behalf of the Jewish population,^[3] and in 1942 it was reported he was wounded by the Nazis in an incident that left another priest dead^[3]—however, it was in fact Archbishop Mečislovas Reinys that had been injured.^[8] In 1944, Skvireckas, Brizgys and over 200 other Lithuanian clergymen left Kaunas with retreating German forces and went into exile.^[6] He settled in Austria, where he died in Zams in 1959.^[2][9] After his death, the post of (arch)bishop of Kaunas was vacant until 1989.