List of Catholic pilgrimage sites in Lithuania

There are many Catholic pilgrimage sites in Lithuania. There is no official list or designation of the sites. The government established the Pilgrim Route of John Paul II (16 sites) in 2007 though there are many more sites that attract local pilgrims. There are many sites visited by residents of the same parish or deanery, or sites that saw their devotion diminish through the years. Priest Robertas Gedvydas Skrinskas in his 1999 guide to pilgrimage sites counted more than 100 Marian images that are considered miraculous and 25 sites of Marian apparitions.[1] As of 2013, there were 33 Lourdes grottoes in Lithuania, mainly in Samogitia.[2] The list below includes only the key sites that continue to be visited by pilgrims.

History

Catholic pilgrimage sites in Lithuania started developing in the 17th century. Such delayed development was caused by the late Christianization of Lithuania in 1387 and the slow adoption of Christianity among the population that still worshiped pagan gods.[3] The first known pilgrimage took place in 1604 when Bishop Benedykt Woyna organized a Jesuit pilgrimage from Vilnius to the Mother of God of Trakai. Šiluva became a pilgrimage destination after a Marian apparition in 1608 – the only recognized apparition in Lithuania. The first cavalries in Žemaičių Kalvarija and Verkiai (Vilnius) were built in 1637–1642 and 1662–1669.[4] Vilnius attracted pilgrims not only with the Calvary, but also with the relics of Saint Casimir in Vilnius Cathedral (dedicated Chapel of Saint Casimir was completed in 1636) and Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn (dedicated chapel was completed in 1671). Many pilgrims traveled not to visit specific sites but to get an indulgence during parish festivals (Lithuanian: atlaidai).[1]

During the Soviet anti-religious campaign in 1958–1964, the authorities of the Lithuanian SSR took active measures to hinder the pilgrims and destroy several pilgrimage sites – chapels of Verkiai and Vepriai Calvaries were demolished while crosses were removed from the Hill of Crosses.[1] After the Lithuania regained independence in 1990, many sites were repaired or reconstructed or new chapels were built (e.g. Janoniai Chapel and Kvintiškės Chapel at the sites of Marian apparitions in 1962 and 1967). In 1993, during his visit to Lithuania, Pope John Paul II visited several key pilgrimage sites, including the Gate of Dawn, Hill of Crosses, and Šiluva.[1] In 2007, for the 15th anniversary of his visit, Lithuanian bishops and Lithuanian government established a pilgrim route of Pope John Paul II with 14 sites; two more sites were added in 2009. The route includes Šiauliai Cathedral and Christ's Resurrection Church, Kaunas due to their architectural and historical significance.[3] In 2013, several Municipalities of Lithuania established several routes inspired by Camino de Santiago (St. James Way) that connect different churches of St. James in different regions of Lithuania.[5]

List
Catholic pilgrimage sites in Lithuania based on list by Darius Liutikas[1][3]
SiteSignificanceReason for pilgrimageCoordinatesNear town/cityMunicipalityDioceseImage
Beržoras Catholic ChurchRegionalMarian image; Calvary56°1′31″N 21°48′46″EBeržorasPlungė District MunicipalityDiocese of Telšiai
Gate of DawnInternationalMarian image (Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn)54°40′28″N 25°17′22″EVilniusVilnius City MunicipalityArchdiocese of Vilnius
Hill of CrossesInternationalCrosses56°00′55″N 23°25′00″EŠiauliaiŠiauliai District MunicipalityDiocese of Šiauliai
Janoniai ChapelRegionalMarian apparition55°23′13″N 25°12′46″ESkiemonysMolėtai District MunicipalityDiocese of Panevėžys
Kaunas CathedralRegionalMarian image54°53′49″N 23°53′20″EKaunasKaunas City MunicipalityArchdiocese of Kaunas
Kazokiškės Catholic ChurchRegionalMarian image54°49′00″N 24°50′25″EKazokiškėsTrakai District MunicipalityArchdiocese of Vilnius
Keturnaujiena ChapelNationalMarian apparition54°51′1″N 22°54′37″EKeturnaujienaŠakiai District MunicipalityDiocese of Vilkaviškis
Krekenava BasilicaRegionalMarian image55°32′45″N 24°5′52″EKrekenavaPanevėžys District MunicipalityDiocese of Panevėžys
Kryžiai ChapelRegionalMarian image; crosses54°15′38″N 23°41′38″EŠventežerisLazdijai District MunicipalityDiocese of Vilkaviškis
Kvintiškės ChapelRegionalMarian apparition55°48′10″N 26°5′1″EInbradasZarasai District MunicipalityDiocese of Panevėžys
Linkuva Catholic ChurchRegionalMarian image56°5′5″N 23°58′30″ELinkuvaPakruojis District MunicipalityDiocese of Šiauliai
Marijampolė BasilicaRegionalBlessed Jurgis Matulaitis54°33′19″N 23°20′39″EMarijampolėMarijampolė MunicipalityDiocese of Vilkaviškis
Mažučiai SpringRegionalMarian apparition; spring54°42′18″N 23°07′05″EAlksnėnaiVilkaviškis District MunicipalityDiocese of Vilkaviškis
Pažaislis MonasteryRegionalMarian image54°52′34″N 24°1′19″EKaunasKaunas City MunicipalityArchdiocese of Kaunas
Pivašiūnai Catholic ChurchNationalMarian image54°27′39″N 24°22′20″EPivašiūnaiAlytus District MunicipalityDiocese of Kaišiadorys
Sanctuary of the Divine MercyInternationalChristological image (Divine Mercy image)54°40′53″N 25°17′08″EVilniusVilnius City MunicipalityArchdiocese of Vilnius
Šiluva BasilicaNationalMarian image (Our Lady of Šiluva)55°31′49″N 23°13′29″EŠiluvaRaseiniai District MunicipalityArchdiocese of Kaunas
Šiluva ChapelNationalMarian apparition55°31′50″N 23°13′11″EŠiluvaRaseiniai District MunicipalityArchdiocese of Kaunas
Telšiai CathedralRegionalBishops Justinas Staugaitis and Vincentas Borisevičius55°58′56″N 22°14′47″ETelšiaiTelšiai District MunicipalityDiocese of Telšiai
Trakai Catholic ChurchRegionalMarian image (Mother of God of Trakai)54°38′34″N 24°56′4″ETrakaiTrakai District MunicipalityArchdiocese of Vilnius
Tytuvėnai MonasteryRegionalCalvary55°35′48″N 23°12′01″ETytuvėnaiKelmė District MunicipalityDiocese of Šiauliai
Vepriai CalvaryRegionalCalvary55°9′00″N 24°34′32″EVepriaiUkmergė District MunicipalityArchdiocese of Kaunas
Verkiai CalvaryRegionalCalvary54°43′51″N 25°17′14″EVilniusVilnius City MunicipalityArchdiocese of Vilnius
Vilnius CathedralInternationalMarian image; Saint Casimir54°41′09″N 25°17′16″EVilniusVilnius City MunicipalityArchdiocese of Vilnius
Žemaičių KalvarijaNationalMarian image; Calvary56°6′36″N 22°0′38″EŽemaičių KalvarijaPlungė District MunicipalityDiocese of Telšiai

References
  1. Liutikas, Darius (2005). "Piligrimystės vietų tinklas Lietuvoje: geografinė retrospektyva" (PDF). Geografijos metraštis (in Lithuanian). 38(1): 148–158. ISSN 2335-8610.
  2. Liutikas, Darius (2014). "Religinių objektų Lietuvoje geografinių vietų analizė" (PDF). Geografijos metraštis (in Lithuanian). 47: 111. ISSN 2335-8610.
  3. Liutikas, Darius (2009). Piligrimystė. Vertybių ir tapatumo išraiškos kelionėse (PDF) (in Lithuanian). Socialinių tyrimų institutas and Lietuvos piligrimų bendrija. pp. 123–133. ISBN 978-609-95111-0-8.
  4. Liutikas, Darius. "Religious Pilgrimage Routes in the Baltic Countries: History and Perspectives". In Olsen, Daniel H.; Trono, Anna (eds.). Religious Pilgrimage Routes and Trails: Sustainable Development and Management. CABI Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Series. CABI. pp. 104–106. ISBN 978-1786390271.
  5. "Šv. Jokūbo kelias Lietuvoje" (in Lithuanian). Lietuvos Šv. Jokūbo kelio savivaldybių asociacija. Retrieved 6 January 2020.
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