About the Church
Juodupė Church of Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn is a remarkable monument, notable not only for its architecture but also for its rich and complex history.
This church stands in Juodupė, in Rokiškis district, in the Diocese of Panevėžys. The present church was set up in 1946, after the Second World War, by converting an outbuilding of the old presbytery — a barn. The history of this sacred building, however, began much earlier and is full of trials and dedication.
After the First World War the Juodupė community began actively working to establish a parish. At that time Juodupė had a wool-spinning mill with a carding shop and weaving looms, and people felt the need for a church of their own. Land was to be assigned to the parish from parts of the Onuškis and Rokiškis parishes, but the process stalled over problems of land ownership. Only in 1934 did Fr Jonas Bubas, with the parishioners' help, obtain land from the Land Reform Department and build a wooden chapel, which he blessed in honour of Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn.
The Juodupė parish was officially founded in 1937, but the first large wooden church was not built until 1938. This church stood on a high hillock, within the grounds of the present cemetery, and was cruciform in plan, with three naves and a 30-metre tower. The church's altar was adorned with paintings by the artist Vytautas Palaima, among them "St Casimir Praying before the Altar of Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn" and a painting of the martyr St Julia.
Sadly, this church was destroyed in 1944 during the fighting of the war. The Soviet authorities did not allow the church to be rebuilt on its old foundations, so in 1946 a temporary church was set up in the presbytery's barn. Although this was only meant to be a temporary solution, this church has survived to this day.
In 1987 the church was damaged by fire, but through the efforts of the parish priest Pranas Sabaliauskas it was repaired. Today the church building is wooden, with parquet floors, a decorated ceiling and walls lined with panelling. The windows are adorned with stained glass, and in the corner of the churchyard stands a light, post-built bell tower.
Juodupė Church of Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn is not only a house of prayer but also a gathering place for the local community, symbolising its perseverance and faithfulness to its beliefs.
This church stands in Juodupė, in Rokiškis district, in the Diocese of Panevėžys. The present church was set up in 1946, after the Second World War, by converting an outbuilding of the old presbytery — a barn. The history of this sacred building, however, began much earlier and is full of trials and dedication.
After the First World War the Juodupė community began actively working to establish a parish. At that time Juodupė had a wool-spinning mill with a carding shop and weaving looms, and people felt the need for a church of their own. Land was to be assigned to the parish from parts of the Onuškis and Rokiškis parishes, but the process stalled over problems of land ownership. Only in 1934 did Fr Jonas Bubas, with the parishioners' help, obtain land from the Land Reform Department and build a wooden chapel, which he blessed in honour of Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn.
The Juodupė parish was officially founded in 1937, but the first large wooden church was not built until 1938. This church stood on a high hillock, within the grounds of the present cemetery, and was cruciform in plan, with three naves and a 30-metre tower. The church's altar was adorned with paintings by the artist Vytautas Palaima, among them "St Casimir Praying before the Altar of Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn" and a painting of the martyr St Julia.
Sadly, this church was destroyed in 1944 during the fighting of the war. The Soviet authorities did not allow the church to be rebuilt on its old foundations, so in 1946 a temporary church was set up in the presbytery's barn. Although this was only meant to be a temporary solution, this church has survived to this day.
In 1987 the church was damaged by fire, but through the efforts of the parish priest Pranas Sabaliauskas it was repaired. Today the church building is wooden, with parquet floors, a decorated ceiling and walls lined with panelling. The windows are adorned with stained glass, and in the corner of the churchyard stands a light, post-built bell tower.
Juodupė Church of Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn is not only a house of prayer but also a gathering place for the local community, symbolising its perseverance and faithfulness to its beliefs.