About the Church
The Church of St Joseph in Jūrkalne stands on the coast of the Baltic Sea, in the settlement of Jūrkalne, and is one of three Catholic churches of the Suiti (Suiti) region belonging to the UNESCO-protected Suiti cultural space. A Catholic island in Lutheran Courland gives this area its distinctive character.
The present masonry church was built by the parishioners themselves; it was consecrated in 1862 in honour of St Joseph. In 1870 a tower was added at the entrance, the lower part of which today serves as a porch.
A legend is associated with the church about sailors caught in a storm, who vowed that if they survived they would build a church on the spot where they reached the shore. To this day the church of Jūrkalne remains an important landmark of the local Catholic community and of the coastal landscape.
The present masonry church was built by the parishioners themselves; it was consecrated in 1862 in honour of St Joseph. In 1870 a tower was added at the entrance, the lower part of which today serves as a porch.
A legend is associated with the church about sailors caught in a storm, who vowed that if they survived they would build a church on the spot where they reached the shore. To this day the church of Jūrkalne remains an important landmark of the local Catholic community and of the coastal landscape.