About the Church
The church of Our Lady, Queen of Peace at Spitrėnai is not only an architectural but also a spiritual gem, situated in the small, peaceful village of Spitrėnai, near Utena. Built in 1917, this wooden church still stands as a living witness to history, retaining its unique atmosphere and artistry.
The founding of the church is closely bound up with the efforts of the local community and its great benefactors. The main initiators were parish priest Pranciškus Turauskas and the manor owners Jonas and Elena Balaiša. The design was created by the student Pranas Gineitis, and within just a couple of years, in 1919, the first priest, Petras Margevičius, was appointed here, and he contributed significantly to the fitting-out and renovation of the church's interior. Through his efforts the church was provided with a harmonium, altars and even a six-stop organ.
This distinctive shrine has a semi-cruciform plan, a single tower, and three altars. Its churchyard is enclosed by a stone-masonry wall, within which stand a wooden bell tower and a cross. Incidentally, the churchyard is not merely a simple enclosure – it is a place adorned with decorative plants and various works of art, such as a roofed memorial post (stogastulpis) commemorating the priests and a memorial stone to the church's builders. The authors of these artistic elements are the well-known Lithuanian artists Andrius Cvirka and Romualdas Šimkūnas.
Always beautifully maintained and cared for, the church delights with its interior and the calm that radiates through the play of colour in its stained-glass windows and its subtle details. The stained glass was created by the well-known artist Andrius Cvirka; its colours and light give the church a special atmosphere, inviting one to focus in prayer or simply to reflect on life.
For more than a century the church of Our Lady, Queen of Peace at Spitrėnai has served the local faithful, offering them spiritual comfort and support. Despite the passage of time, it has retained its authenticity and is an important part of the spiritual mosaic of the Diocese of Panevėžys and the Utena Deanery. Today the church is administered by Algis Neverauskas, parish priest of the Ascension of Christ parish in Utena, and the Radeikiai chapel is also part of the parish.
Everyone who visits this wonderful church can feel not only its historical significance but also the deep spiritual peace radiated by the walls of this sacred building. It is a place where the stories of past and present intertwine, where every corner tells its own unique tale.
The founding of the church is closely bound up with the efforts of the local community and its great benefactors. The main initiators were parish priest Pranciškus Turauskas and the manor owners Jonas and Elena Balaiša. The design was created by the student Pranas Gineitis, and within just a couple of years, in 1919, the first priest, Petras Margevičius, was appointed here, and he contributed significantly to the fitting-out and renovation of the church's interior. Through his efforts the church was provided with a harmonium, altars and even a six-stop organ.
This distinctive shrine has a semi-cruciform plan, a single tower, and three altars. Its churchyard is enclosed by a stone-masonry wall, within which stand a wooden bell tower and a cross. Incidentally, the churchyard is not merely a simple enclosure – it is a place adorned with decorative plants and various works of art, such as a roofed memorial post (stogastulpis) commemorating the priests and a memorial stone to the church's builders. The authors of these artistic elements are the well-known Lithuanian artists Andrius Cvirka and Romualdas Šimkūnas.
Always beautifully maintained and cared for, the church delights with its interior and the calm that radiates through the play of colour in its stained-glass windows and its subtle details. The stained glass was created by the well-known artist Andrius Cvirka; its colours and light give the church a special atmosphere, inviting one to focus in prayer or simply to reflect on life.
For more than a century the church of Our Lady, Queen of Peace at Spitrėnai has served the local faithful, offering them spiritual comfort and support. Despite the passage of time, it has retained its authenticity and is an important part of the spiritual mosaic of the Diocese of Panevėžys and the Utena Deanery. Today the church is administered by Algis Neverauskas, parish priest of the Ascension of Christ parish in Utena, and the Radeikiai chapel is also part of the parish.
Everyone who visits this wonderful church can feel not only its historical significance but also the deep spiritual peace radiated by the walls of this sacred building. It is a place where the stories of past and present intertwine, where every corner tells its own unique tale.