About the Church
The Church of the Holy Trinity in Jurbarkas is an extraordinary monument of architecture and history, situated between the Mituva and Imsrė rivers in Jurbarkas. Its history begins as far back as the 15th century, when the first wooden church was built in 1430. Care of this holy site was entrusted to the parish priest of Veliuona, and a parish was established as early as 1502, to which the village of Žindaičiai was donated.
From its very founding the church was an important centre of the community and of religion. In 1555 Queen Bona contributed to its development by donating the village of Straižiai, whose lands were set aside to support the vicar, the church's servants and the school. Moreover, in 1557 parish priest Martynas Hermanavičius founded a school, which shows the church's concern not only for pastoral care but also for education.
Over its long existence the church suffered various misfortunes, but was always rebuilt. After a fire in the middle of the 17th century, it was restored in 1655, and another major rebuilding took place in 1741.
The present masonry church, in the Gothic Revival style, was built from 1901 to 1907. This initiative came from parish priest Kazimieras Marcinkevičius and vicar Antanas Kiznis. In 1907 the new church was consecrated by Bishop Mečislovas Paliulionis, and a bell donated by Lithuanians in the USA was raised into the tower. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries Jurbarkas was renowned for its church choir, and Fr K. Marcinkevičius actively distributed the banned Lithuanian press here.
The church's history also had harder moments. In the 1940 town fire, the roof, the tower spires and part of the interior burned down. Nevertheless, within a year the church had been re-roofed and repaired, thanks to the efforts of parish priest Anatolijus Stanevičius. The lower towers were later rebuilt as well. In 1992, on the initiative of parish priests Mykolas Buožius and Antanas Slavinskas, new tower spires 21 metres high were raised and fixed in place, designed by architect K. Domanskis and engineer A. Dereškevičius.
The church is of cruciform plan, with two towers, a richly decorated Gothic Revival structure. In its churchyard one can find the graves of priests, a bell tower with an old bell, and a statue of the Good Shepherd. Despite its complicated history, this church remains an important part of spiritual life and a valuable part of the cultural heritage of Jurbarkas.
Such a rich and dramatic history undoubtedly makes the Church of the Holy Trinity in Jurbarkas a special object of Lithuania's cultural and religious heritage, whose beauty and significance lose none of their relevance even after many centuries.
From its very founding the church was an important centre of the community and of religion. In 1555 Queen Bona contributed to its development by donating the village of Straižiai, whose lands were set aside to support the vicar, the church's servants and the school. Moreover, in 1557 parish priest Martynas Hermanavičius founded a school, which shows the church's concern not only for pastoral care but also for education.
Over its long existence the church suffered various misfortunes, but was always rebuilt. After a fire in the middle of the 17th century, it was restored in 1655, and another major rebuilding took place in 1741.
The present masonry church, in the Gothic Revival style, was built from 1901 to 1907. This initiative came from parish priest Kazimieras Marcinkevičius and vicar Antanas Kiznis. In 1907 the new church was consecrated by Bishop Mečislovas Paliulionis, and a bell donated by Lithuanians in the USA was raised into the tower. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries Jurbarkas was renowned for its church choir, and Fr K. Marcinkevičius actively distributed the banned Lithuanian press here.
The church's history also had harder moments. In the 1940 town fire, the roof, the tower spires and part of the interior burned down. Nevertheless, within a year the church had been re-roofed and repaired, thanks to the efforts of parish priest Anatolijus Stanevičius. The lower towers were later rebuilt as well. In 1992, on the initiative of parish priests Mykolas Buožius and Antanas Slavinskas, new tower spires 21 metres high were raised and fixed in place, designed by architect K. Domanskis and engineer A. Dereškevičius.
The church is of cruciform plan, with two towers, a richly decorated Gothic Revival structure. In its churchyard one can find the graves of priests, a bell tower with an old bell, and a statue of the Good Shepherd. Despite its complicated history, this church remains an important part of spiritual life and a valuable part of the cultural heritage of Jurbarkas.
Such a rich and dramatic history undoubtedly makes the Church of the Holy Trinity in Jurbarkas a special object of Lithuania's cultural and religious heritage, whose beauty and significance lose none of their relevance even after many centuries.
Gallery and Resources
Archive captions are shown in Lithuanian.
Jurbarko Švč. Trejybės bažnyčia. Kitoje pusėje įrašas ranka: „Jurbarko bažnyčios stacija (išorinėj pusėj)“. Tikėtina, kad vaizdą užfiksavo Benediktas Bučinskas.
