About the Church
The Church of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Kiaukliai is a wonderful church, found in the village of Kiaukliai, on the south-eastern shore of Lake Kiaukliai. Although the present church was only built in 2000, its history reaches back to much earlier times and is full of dramatic events and challenges.
Let us begin with the fact that in the second half of the 16th century there was already a grange in Kiaukliai, belonging to the Šešuoliai manor of the Bishop of Vilnius. This manor became the basis for the formation of a religious community in the area. In 1758 Bishop Michał Jan Zieńkowicz donated the village of Vazgūnai together with its grange to the newly built altar benefice of the Kiaukliai church, thereby securing financial support and a stronger connection with the surrounding area.
In 1817 this church was rebuilt, and in 1858 its log walls were renewed. Unfortunately, in the mid-19th century political unrest and occupation caused the church great difficulties. In 1869, after the authorities removed the priest from Kiaukliai and refused to allow the appointment of another, false information was submitted claiming that the church was unnecessary. As a result, on 3 July 1871 the Minister of the Interior ordered it to be closed and demolished. The faithful, however, did not accept this decision and successfully defended their house of prayer against the demolition carried out by the military. This put a stop to the indiscriminate closure of churches in the Diocese of Vilnius.
At the beginning of the 20th century, in 1906, a design for a new wooden church was approved, whose author was Tomas Tišeckis. As early as 1909 a commission accepted the completed church and allowed services to be held in it. In 1912–1914 a branch of the Lithuanian Catholic Temperance Society operated here, which helped strengthen the community's spiritual and social life.
Unfortunately, this church too did not escape the wars of the mid-20th century. In 1941, fleeing from the Germans, Red Army soldiers set the church on fire, leaving only its stone foundations. During the Soviet occupation permission to build a new church was not given, so local residents set up a house of prayer in a former almshouse.
But the resilient community did not give up. In 2000 a new church was built on the foundations of the one burned down during the war. Beside it stand a cross, a roofed post shrine and the surviving old masonry bell tower, which recall the long and complicated history of the church.
Today the Church of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Kiaukliai is not only a house of prayer but also an important cultural heritage site, bearing witness to the resilience and faith of the local community.
Let us begin with the fact that in the second half of the 16th century there was already a grange in Kiaukliai, belonging to the Šešuoliai manor of the Bishop of Vilnius. This manor became the basis for the formation of a religious community in the area. In 1758 Bishop Michał Jan Zieńkowicz donated the village of Vazgūnai together with its grange to the newly built altar benefice of the Kiaukliai church, thereby securing financial support and a stronger connection with the surrounding area.
In 1817 this church was rebuilt, and in 1858 its log walls were renewed. Unfortunately, in the mid-19th century political unrest and occupation caused the church great difficulties. In 1869, after the authorities removed the priest from Kiaukliai and refused to allow the appointment of another, false information was submitted claiming that the church was unnecessary. As a result, on 3 July 1871 the Minister of the Interior ordered it to be closed and demolished. The faithful, however, did not accept this decision and successfully defended their house of prayer against the demolition carried out by the military. This put a stop to the indiscriminate closure of churches in the Diocese of Vilnius.
At the beginning of the 20th century, in 1906, a design for a new wooden church was approved, whose author was Tomas Tišeckis. As early as 1909 a commission accepted the completed church and allowed services to be held in it. In 1912–1914 a branch of the Lithuanian Catholic Temperance Society operated here, which helped strengthen the community's spiritual and social life.
Unfortunately, this church too did not escape the wars of the mid-20th century. In 1941, fleeing from the Germans, Red Army soldiers set the church on fire, leaving only its stone foundations. During the Soviet occupation permission to build a new church was not given, so local residents set up a house of prayer in a former almshouse.
But the resilient community did not give up. In 2000 a new church was built on the foundations of the one burned down during the war. Beside it stand a cross, a roofed post shrine and the surviving old masonry bell tower, which recall the long and complicated history of the church.
Today the Church of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Kiaukliai is not only a house of prayer but also an important cultural heritage site, bearing witness to the resilience and faith of the local community.
Gallery and Resources
Archive captions are shown in Lithuanian.
Kiauklių Švč. Mergelės Marijos Apsilankymo bažnyčios varpinė.