About the Church
The Church of the Ascension of the Lord in Uliūnai bears witness to the spirit and architecture of former times; it stands in the village of Uliūnai, near Panevėžys. This unique church was built in 1914 and still draws both the faithful and researchers of history.
The church's history began in 1912, when the villagers decided to convert a large masonry community grain store into a chapel. This project was later carried out thanks to the priest Jonas Balvočius-Gerutis. The priest, who had come from Ėriškiai, actively set about fulfilling the local residents' dream and in 1914 converted the storehouse into a church. During the conversion six windows were cut, the churchyard was fenced, the altar of the old church was brought from Ramygala, and confessionals from Naujamiestis. The dean of Panevėžys, the priest Juozapas Stakauskas, blessed the church in 1915, and Pranciškus Karevičius, Bishop of Samogitia, honoured the priest Balvočius by raising him to honorary canon.
Later the church at Uliūnai was a filial church of the Ramygala parish, but in time it became an independent parish. In June 1929 Jonas Steponaitis was appointed curate of the Uliūnai church. On his initiative, the Parish of the Ascension of the Lord at Uliūnai was founded in 1930, and he served as its first parish priest. Thanks to Steponaitis's efforts, in 1932 the church was thoroughly renovated to a design by the engineer Feliksas Bielinskis. A tower of stone and brick masonry was then built, which still adorns the church today. In 1937 a four-register organ by J. Mačiukas was installed, and in 1940 the church's interior was repainted.
Architecturally, the church at Uliūnai is rectangular in plan, 27 metres long and 14 metres wide, single-towered, with an additional small turret. The churchyard wall is of metal with masonry piers. Buried in the churchyard is the first priest of Uliūnai, the writer Jonas Balvočius, to whom the St Casimir Society erected a monument. Here, too, rests the priest Jonas Steponaitis, whose grave is marked by an original triangular-shaped monument decorated with a relief cross and an inscription.
Today the Church of the Ascension of the Lord in Uliūnai is not only a house of prayer but also part of the cultural heritage, recalling the region's rich and colourful history. Every visit here allows one to sense the atmosphere of the past, discover deep spiritual and cultural values, and admire authentic architecture.
The church's history began in 1912, when the villagers decided to convert a large masonry community grain store into a chapel. This project was later carried out thanks to the priest Jonas Balvočius-Gerutis. The priest, who had come from Ėriškiai, actively set about fulfilling the local residents' dream and in 1914 converted the storehouse into a church. During the conversion six windows were cut, the churchyard was fenced, the altar of the old church was brought from Ramygala, and confessionals from Naujamiestis. The dean of Panevėžys, the priest Juozapas Stakauskas, blessed the church in 1915, and Pranciškus Karevičius, Bishop of Samogitia, honoured the priest Balvočius by raising him to honorary canon.
Later the church at Uliūnai was a filial church of the Ramygala parish, but in time it became an independent parish. In June 1929 Jonas Steponaitis was appointed curate of the Uliūnai church. On his initiative, the Parish of the Ascension of the Lord at Uliūnai was founded in 1930, and he served as its first parish priest. Thanks to Steponaitis's efforts, in 1932 the church was thoroughly renovated to a design by the engineer Feliksas Bielinskis. A tower of stone and brick masonry was then built, which still adorns the church today. In 1937 a four-register organ by J. Mačiukas was installed, and in 1940 the church's interior was repainted.
Architecturally, the church at Uliūnai is rectangular in plan, 27 metres long and 14 metres wide, single-towered, with an additional small turret. The churchyard wall is of metal with masonry piers. Buried in the churchyard is the first priest of Uliūnai, the writer Jonas Balvočius, to whom the St Casimir Society erected a monument. Here, too, rests the priest Jonas Steponaitis, whose grave is marked by an original triangular-shaped monument decorated with a relief cross and an inscription.
Today the Church of the Ascension of the Lord in Uliūnai is not only a house of prayer but also part of the cultural heritage, recalling the region's rich and colourful history. Every visit here allows one to sense the atmosphere of the past, discover deep spiritual and cultural values, and admire authentic architecture.