About the Church
The Church of the Holy Name of Jesus in Šilai is an impressive and historic house of prayer standing in the small town of Šilai in Panevėžys district. The church is not only an architectural gem but also an important part of the local community's life.
The first wooden church in Šilai was built in 1779 on the initiative of Franckevičius (Pronskevičius), the owner of Šilai manor. However, as time passed and the parish grew, the need arose for a larger and more durable house of prayer. So between 1906 and 1909 the parish priest Juozapas Stonis, assisted by parishioners and the engineer Nikolajus Andrejevas, initiated the construction of a new masonry church. The building work was financed by the generous owners of Alančiai manor, Ieva and Marija-Magdalena Rudaminaitė, who not only donated money but also provided timber and bought the organ.
The masonry church was built around the old wooden chapel, which was later demolished and its material used to build a shelter and an almshouse. Interestingly, during construction the stones were hauled and dressed by local residents, so each of them contributed to the birth of this architectural work. The church was consecrated in 1914 by Pranciškus Karevičius, Bishop of Samogitia.
During the First World War the church suffered losses: two bells were taken away and the organ was ruined. After the war, however, the community restored and put the house of prayer in order. In 1925 the Lithuanian emigrants Jonas Zalagėnas and Vladislovas Janulis, from Chicago, donated two new bells to the church, which became an inseparable part of it. Meaningful inscriptions urging people to listen to the voice of God were cast onto these bells.
The wooden statue of Christ inside the church, moved from the old chapel, together with 18th-century sculptures of St Peter and St Paul, creates a special sacred atmosphere. These artistic relics testify to deep folk-art traditions and to the history of the church.
In 1940 the parish priest Antanas Mikonis, together with the parishioners, redecorated the interior of the church, installed new Stations of the Cross and built the high altar. Even President Antanas Smetona contributed to the fitting-out of the altar, donating 500 litas. During the Second World War the church bells were taken down and hidden, but later they returned to their place in the tower.
The church at Šilai is an example of a mix of Romanesque Revival and Gothic Revival architecture. It is a single-tower church with a rectangular plan and a small turret, and in the churchyard there is a wooden bell tower and other valuable monuments, including a wayside shrine pillar almost 5 metres high with a sculpture of John of Nepomuk, created by Vincas Svirskis.
An interesting fact is that the deceased of the villages of Šilai, Lėnas and Užugiris were buried in the old churchyard cemetery, among them the parents of the President of Lithuania, Antanas Smetona. After the new church was built, the cemetery was closed, but a monument was erected in its memory.
At present the priest serving the church is Ričardas Banys, who has been in charge of the parish's spiritual life since 2017.
The first wooden church in Šilai was built in 1779 on the initiative of Franckevičius (Pronskevičius), the owner of Šilai manor. However, as time passed and the parish grew, the need arose for a larger and more durable house of prayer. So between 1906 and 1909 the parish priest Juozapas Stonis, assisted by parishioners and the engineer Nikolajus Andrejevas, initiated the construction of a new masonry church. The building work was financed by the generous owners of Alančiai manor, Ieva and Marija-Magdalena Rudaminaitė, who not only donated money but also provided timber and bought the organ.
The masonry church was built around the old wooden chapel, which was later demolished and its material used to build a shelter and an almshouse. Interestingly, during construction the stones were hauled and dressed by local residents, so each of them contributed to the birth of this architectural work. The church was consecrated in 1914 by Pranciškus Karevičius, Bishop of Samogitia.
During the First World War the church suffered losses: two bells were taken away and the organ was ruined. After the war, however, the community restored and put the house of prayer in order. In 1925 the Lithuanian emigrants Jonas Zalagėnas and Vladislovas Janulis, from Chicago, donated two new bells to the church, which became an inseparable part of it. Meaningful inscriptions urging people to listen to the voice of God were cast onto these bells.
The wooden statue of Christ inside the church, moved from the old chapel, together with 18th-century sculptures of St Peter and St Paul, creates a special sacred atmosphere. These artistic relics testify to deep folk-art traditions and to the history of the church.
In 1940 the parish priest Antanas Mikonis, together with the parishioners, redecorated the interior of the church, installed new Stations of the Cross and built the high altar. Even President Antanas Smetona contributed to the fitting-out of the altar, donating 500 litas. During the Second World War the church bells were taken down and hidden, but later they returned to their place in the tower.
The church at Šilai is an example of a mix of Romanesque Revival and Gothic Revival architecture. It is a single-tower church with a rectangular plan and a small turret, and in the churchyard there is a wooden bell tower and other valuable monuments, including a wayside shrine pillar almost 5 metres high with a sculpture of John of Nepomuk, created by Vincas Svirskis.
An interesting fact is that the deceased of the villages of Šilai, Lėnas and Užugiris were buried in the old churchyard cemetery, among them the parents of the President of Lithuania, Antanas Smetona. After the new church was built, the cemetery was closed, but a monument was erected in its memory.
At present the priest serving the church is Ričardas Banys, who has been in charge of the parish's spiritual life since 2017.