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St. Michael the Archangel Basilica of Marijampolė

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Religious Heritage
Marijampolė
Marijampolė Tourism Information Center

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The St. Michael the Archangel Basilica of Marijampolė is one of the most significant churches in the Diocese of Vilkaviškis, attracting numerous pilgrims from Lithuania and neighboring countries. Pilgrims come here to pray at the tomb of Blessed Archbishop Jurgis Matulaitis, who is considered a saint and miracle worker. The history of this church began in 1750 when Pranciška Butlerienė, the Prienai district leader, invited the Marian Fathers to the confluence of the Šešupė and Javonys rivers, where they started to build a church and monastery. After eight years, a wooden Church of the Holy Cross was consecrated, but it was destroyed by fire in 1809. The construction of the new brick church took a long time, and it was not consecrated until fifteen years later in the name of St. Michael the Archangel, the patron saint of the Marian Order. Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, the basilica was expanded and adorned

multiple times. Its architecture reflects elements of the Neo-Baroque style, and the building's layout resembles a Latin cross with two towers and an apse. In 1934, the remains of Archbishop Jurgis Matulaitis were transferred from the Kaunas Cathedral to the Chapel of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. In 1987, following his beatification, an altar in his name was established, and his relics were transferred. This chapel also houses the remains of the first bishop of the Vilkaviškis Diocese, Antanas Karosas. The churchyard is the final resting place of Marian monks and participants of the 1831 uprising. The basilica features an early 18th-century painting of the Virgin Mary with Child, renowned for its miracles and graces, and is one of the most significant sacred treasures of the Vilkaviškis Diocese. In 1992, the church was granted the title of minor basilica, further emphasizing its importance and significance to the faithful.

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