Nemunėlio Radviliškio Švč. Mergelės Marijos bažnyčia

The Nemunėlio Radviliškis Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary is undoubtedly an important cultural and historical site, situated on the border between Lithuania and Latvia, at the confluence of the Apaščia and the Nemunėlis. This beautiful church has for more than two centuries drawn both members of the local community and tourists.

Construction of the church began in 1849, after Jonas Tiškevičius received permission from the Russian Minister of Internal Affairs to build it. The construction work took five years, and the finished masterpiece was completed in 1854. This church stands out for its Historicist style with elements of Classicism. It is a rectangular-plan, single-tower structure, with three naves and three altars inside. The churchyard wall, built of stone masonry, adds further strength and solidity.

The church's history is rich and dramatic. The first Catholic chapel in this small town was built as early as 1719, and around 1782 a small wooden church was raised here. From then on the parish was served by resident priests, among them Jonas Skapinavičius, who contributed to the addition of a sacristy. Unfortunately, during the First World War, in 1915, the church suffered greatly – the tower was destroyed, and the ceiling, roof, altar and organ burned.

Despite these misfortunes, the parish community did not give up. After the war services were held in the poorhouse, and in 1921–1928 the church was rebuilt again, this time under the priests Feliksas Dėdelė and Mykolas Jusys. During the Second World War the church suffered losses again – the parish's outbuildings burned down, and the church itself was damaged. But after the war, thanks to the priest Stanislovas Žalys and the community's care, the church was restored: it was covered with boards, a lower tower was rebuilt, and the chancel was rendered.

It is worth mentioning that from 1959 to 1976 the exiled Bishop Vincentas Sladkevičius lived in Nemunėlio Radviliškis, and in his memory an oak memorial plaque with a bas-relief was unveiled in 2001.

Today the Nemunėlio Radviliškis Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary not only reflects the region's religious and cultural history, but also recalls the unconquerable faith and sense of community that, over the years, helped preserve and rebuild this church.