0 9 ▁and ▁de acon ▁in ▁his ▁final ▁year ▁of ▁study . ▁He ▁graduated ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 2 ▁with ▁a ▁master ' s ▁degree ▁in ▁the ology ▁and ▁a ▁gold ▁medal ▁for ▁academic ▁excell ence . ▁He ▁returned ▁to ▁Ka unas ▁and ▁was ▁assigned ▁as ▁a ▁teacher ▁to ▁the ▁Ka unas ▁Pri est ▁Sem inary . ▁At ▁the ▁same ▁time , ▁he ▁collected ▁data ▁for ▁his ▁th esis ▁on ▁the ▁Re formation ▁in ▁Lith u ania ▁and ▁published ▁his ▁first ▁studies ▁in ▁Dra ug ija . ▁It ▁appears ▁that ▁Pur ick is ▁tra ve led ▁to ▁Switzerland ▁to ▁study ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁F rib ourg ▁without ▁the ▁proper ▁government ▁perm its . ▁His ▁letters ▁to ▁Li ud as ▁G ira ▁show ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁already ▁in ▁F rib ourg ▁in ▁March ▁ 1 9 1 3 ▁and ▁spent ▁the ▁summer ▁in ▁Rome ▁collect ing ▁information ▁for ▁his ▁th esis . ▁According ▁to ▁a ▁note ▁by ▁re ctor ▁of ▁the ▁university , ▁Pur ick is ▁was ▁officially ▁registered ▁as ▁a ▁student ▁in ▁June ▁ 1 9 1 4 . ▁He ▁def ended ▁his ▁th esis ▁on ▁the ▁reasons ▁for ▁the ▁failure ▁of ▁the ▁Re formation ▁in ▁Lith u ania ▁on ▁ 2 5 ▁July ▁ 1 9 1 6 ▁and ▁was ▁awarded ▁a ▁doctor ate . ▁The ▁th esis ▁was ▁mostly ▁a ▁historical ▁work ▁based ▁on ▁many ▁arch ival ▁documents ▁and ▁the ▁first ▁extensive ▁study ▁on ▁the ▁subject . ▁His ▁contempor aries ▁often ▁disag re ed ▁with ▁Pur ick is '