About the Church
In Pušalotas, a small and peaceful town in the Pasvalys district, stands the Church of Sts Peter and Paul, Apostles. This striking wooden church, built in 1853, is a fine example of Lithuanian vernacular architecture.
The church's history goes back to the 17th century, when in 1639 it was granted land: 18 valakas and about 100 desyatinas of forest. Later, in 1708, through the efforts of the priest Mykolas Baukevičius, the church was rebuilt. Another significant date is 1820, when the church held 10 valakas of land together with the villages of Ožkyčiai and Fazukai.
For many years the parish priest Feliksas Vereika served at the church in Pušalotas; he not only had the cemetery walled and, in 1879, raised the church and added two side chapels, but also installed an organ built by the craftsman Juozapas Radavičius. Antanas Juška is also woven into the church's history — he served as parish priest here from 1855 to 1862. He renovated the church, built the presbytery, and collected folklore.
At the end of the 19th and the start of the 20th century the parish priest Jonas Jaskevičius became well known, supporting the distribution of the banned Lithuanian press and organising secret Lithuanian schools. On his initiative an almshouse with a parish hall was built in 1898.
Architectural highlights are also prominent at the church in Pušalotas. It has a Latin-cross plan, with a three-sided apse and a small tower. Inside are three altars, and the churchyard fence is of stone masonry. Beside the church stands a masonry bell tower, which lends the whole complex a particular charm.
Not forgetting the parish school, which operated here in the mid-19th century, the church at Pušalotas is not only a house of prayer but also a place where historical, cultural and architectural heritage intertwine. Every visit to this church is like a journey through time, allowing one to feel the spirit of past ages and grasp the depth of our ancestors' spirituality.
The church's history goes back to the 17th century, when in 1639 it was granted land: 18 valakas and about 100 desyatinas of forest. Later, in 1708, through the efforts of the priest Mykolas Baukevičius, the church was rebuilt. Another significant date is 1820, when the church held 10 valakas of land together with the villages of Ožkyčiai and Fazukai.
For many years the parish priest Feliksas Vereika served at the church in Pušalotas; he not only had the cemetery walled and, in 1879, raised the church and added two side chapels, but also installed an organ built by the craftsman Juozapas Radavičius. Antanas Juška is also woven into the church's history — he served as parish priest here from 1855 to 1862. He renovated the church, built the presbytery, and collected folklore.
At the end of the 19th and the start of the 20th century the parish priest Jonas Jaskevičius became well known, supporting the distribution of the banned Lithuanian press and organising secret Lithuanian schools. On his initiative an almshouse with a parish hall was built in 1898.
Architectural highlights are also prominent at the church in Pušalotas. It has a Latin-cross plan, with a three-sided apse and a small tower. Inside are three altars, and the churchyard fence is of stone masonry. Beside the church stands a masonry bell tower, which lends the whole complex a particular charm.
Not forgetting the parish school, which operated here in the mid-19th century, the church at Pušalotas is not only a house of prayer but also a place where historical, cultural and architectural heritage intertwine. Every visit to this church is like a journey through time, allowing one to feel the spirit of past ages and grasp the depth of our ancestors' spirituality.