About the Church
The Church of the Holy Cross in Viduklė is a small but highly significant church in the town of Viduklė, in Raseiniai district. It is not only an architectural monument but also a witness to a rich history going back as far as the 15th century.
The first church in Viduklė was built around 1416, making it one of the earliest in Samogitia. In 1421 the Grand Duke of Lithuania Vytautas granted the Bishop of Samogitia 10 inhabitants of Viduklė district together with their land. At that time the parish priest of Viduklė was officially the Bishop of Samogitia himself, so the parish was administered by his appointed administrators and vicars.
At the end of the 17th century a new church was built in Viduklė. However, it burned down in 1804, and Motiejus Beržinskis had pledged in 1800 to build a new church. The present wooden church was built in 1806. Over the years it became an important part of the local community and lived through various historical periods.
The Chapel of Jesus the Nazarene stands in the church's churchyard. The church building itself has a rectangular plan with a small turret. The churchyard wall is of stone masonry, and next to it stands a three-tier bell tower: the lower tier of stone masonry, the upper tiers of wood.
At the end of the 20th century the Viduklė parish faced persecution by the Soviet authorities. Alfonsas Svarinskas, parish priest from 1976 to 1982, was arrested and convicted for his active religious work, which he organised in order to gather and strengthen the community of believers. In his memory, a bas-relief with a commemorative plaque was erected by the churchyard gate in 2017.
The Church of the Holy Cross in Viduklė is a place where the spiritual and cultural history of the town come together. It is not only a house of prayer but also a historical monument, telling of faith, the strength of the community and its resilience through the centuries.
The first church in Viduklė was built around 1416, making it one of the earliest in Samogitia. In 1421 the Grand Duke of Lithuania Vytautas granted the Bishop of Samogitia 10 inhabitants of Viduklė district together with their land. At that time the parish priest of Viduklė was officially the Bishop of Samogitia himself, so the parish was administered by his appointed administrators and vicars.
At the end of the 17th century a new church was built in Viduklė. However, it burned down in 1804, and Motiejus Beržinskis had pledged in 1800 to build a new church. The present wooden church was built in 1806. Over the years it became an important part of the local community and lived through various historical periods.
The Chapel of Jesus the Nazarene stands in the church's churchyard. The church building itself has a rectangular plan with a small turret. The churchyard wall is of stone masonry, and next to it stands a three-tier bell tower: the lower tier of stone masonry, the upper tiers of wood.
At the end of the 20th century the Viduklė parish faced persecution by the Soviet authorities. Alfonsas Svarinskas, parish priest from 1976 to 1982, was arrested and convicted for his active religious work, which he organised in order to gather and strengthen the community of believers. In his memory, a bas-relief with a commemorative plaque was erected by the churchyard gate in 2017.
The Church of the Holy Cross in Viduklė is a place where the spiritual and cultural history of the town come together. It is not only a house of prayer but also a historical monument, telling of faith, the strength of the community and its resilience through the centuries.
Gallery and Resources
Archive captions are shown in Lithuanian.
Bažnyčia, medinė, vienbokštė, dengta dvišlaičiu stogu, nufotografuota kartu su mūriniais šventoriaus vartais.
Vienbokštė medinė bažnyčia nufotografuota su ją supančia aplinka – šventoriaus vartais ir medžių lajomis. Mūriniai šventoriaus vartai sudaryti iš stulpų su piliastrais ir stačiakampėmis įdubomis. Centrinėje dalyje stulpai sujungti arka. Viršutinė vartų dalis paaukštinta karnizu ir banguotu parapetu su geležiniu kryžiumi.