About the Church
The Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Šaravai is a small but highly significant wooden church located in the village of Šaravai, near the Žemaičių highway. It is the second church of the Josvainiai parish and displays pronounced vernacular architecture features.
The church's construction is closely linked to the events of the 1863 uprising. To mark the 70th anniversary of the uprising and to honour the insurgents and the seven priests buried in the local cemetery, the members of the Šaravai Men's Apostleship decided to build a chapel. Construction work began in the spring of 1933. Although there were initial difficulties over the building permit, with the help of seminarian Bronius Krištanavičius the necessary documents were obtained quickly.
Construction proceeded smoothly, and farmers from the surrounding villages helped by improving the roads so that it would be easier to reach Šaravai on the day of the parish feast. The chapel's consecration ceremony took place on 13 August 1933, drawing around 3,000 people. It was a great celebration, attended not only by local residents but also by guests from other parishes. Interestingly, the first celebration of the parish feast was held on the very same day, and it went on to become an annual tradition.
The chapel, which holds about 150 people, was initially used for Mass once a month. However, through the initiative and persistence of the residents, a permanent priest was appointed here in 1938, and the chapel officially became a church.
Architecturally, the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Šaravai is modest yet very homely. The rectangular building with a five-sided apse and a tower rising above the roof blends well with the rural landscape. The church has three altars, adorned only with paintings of saints, and the churchyard contains an active village cemetery. To the east, an avenue of junipers leads from the churchyard gate towards the presbytery, which is currently abandoned.
Although tiny, this church holds great symbolic and historical value for local residents. It recalls a freedom hard fought for and the strength of the community in pursuing its goals despite every obstacle.
The church's construction is closely linked to the events of the 1863 uprising. To mark the 70th anniversary of the uprising and to honour the insurgents and the seven priests buried in the local cemetery, the members of the Šaravai Men's Apostleship decided to build a chapel. Construction work began in the spring of 1933. Although there were initial difficulties over the building permit, with the help of seminarian Bronius Krištanavičius the necessary documents were obtained quickly.
Construction proceeded smoothly, and farmers from the surrounding villages helped by improving the roads so that it would be easier to reach Šaravai on the day of the parish feast. The chapel's consecration ceremony took place on 13 August 1933, drawing around 3,000 people. It was a great celebration, attended not only by local residents but also by guests from other parishes. Interestingly, the first celebration of the parish feast was held on the very same day, and it went on to become an annual tradition.
The chapel, which holds about 150 people, was initially used for Mass once a month. However, through the initiative and persistence of the residents, a permanent priest was appointed here in 1938, and the chapel officially became a church.
Architecturally, the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Šaravai is modest yet very homely. The rectangular building with a five-sided apse and a tower rising above the roof blends well with the rural landscape. The church has three altars, adorned only with paintings of saints, and the churchyard contains an active village cemetery. To the east, an avenue of junipers leads from the churchyard gate towards the presbytery, which is currently abandoned.
Although tiny, this church holds great symbolic and historical value for local residents. It recalls a freedom hard fought for and the strength of the community in pursuing its goals despite every obstacle.