About the Church
The Blessed Michael Sopoćko Church in Juodšiliai is one of the more interesting recently built religious buildings in Lithuania. This Catholic church, located in Vilnius District, in Juodšiliai, is special not only for its history but also for its symbolic significance.
The church belongs to the Diocese of Vilnius and Naujoji Vilnia Deanery, and is part of the parish of Our Lady of Good Counsel in Rudamina. The church itself was blessed on 15 February 2016 by the Archbishop of Vilnius, Gintaras Grušas. It was given the name of Blessed Michael Sopoćko, and this is no coincidence.
Blessed Michael Sopoćko was an apostle of Divine Mercy, who died on precisely the same day, 41 years earlier, that this church was consecrated. He was a priest of the Archdiocese of Vilnius, a professor at Stephen Báthory University, an army chaplain, and confessor to St Faustina Kowalska. His life was full of trials, especially during the Second World War, when he hid from the German occupying authorities in Juodšiliai under the assumed name of Vaclovas the carpenter.
The church's history is rather dramatic. Construction work began as early as 1936, on the initiative of the Ursuline Sisters. However, owing to the war and successive occupations, the building was never finished and eventually became a children's home, later a hospital and a polyclinic. After a fire in 1991, the building was badly damaged.
Despite all the difficulties, the faithful of Juodšiliai and the surrounding settlements refused to leave the building to its fate. They decided to restore it to its original purpose. Once funds had been raised, construction work began in 2003 and lasted more than a decade, until it was finally completed in 2016.
Today the Blessed Michael Sopoćko Church in Juodšiliai is not only a religious centre but also a witness to history, recalling difficult days of the past and the strength of people's faith. It is a place where Mass is celebrated in both Lithuanian and Polish, reflecting the cultural and linguistic diversity of the region.
The church belongs to the Diocese of Vilnius and Naujoji Vilnia Deanery, and is part of the parish of Our Lady of Good Counsel in Rudamina. The church itself was blessed on 15 February 2016 by the Archbishop of Vilnius, Gintaras Grušas. It was given the name of Blessed Michael Sopoćko, and this is no coincidence.
Blessed Michael Sopoćko was an apostle of Divine Mercy, who died on precisely the same day, 41 years earlier, that this church was consecrated. He was a priest of the Archdiocese of Vilnius, a professor at Stephen Báthory University, an army chaplain, and confessor to St Faustina Kowalska. His life was full of trials, especially during the Second World War, when he hid from the German occupying authorities in Juodšiliai under the assumed name of Vaclovas the carpenter.
The church's history is rather dramatic. Construction work began as early as 1936, on the initiative of the Ursuline Sisters. However, owing to the war and successive occupations, the building was never finished and eventually became a children's home, later a hospital and a polyclinic. After a fire in 1991, the building was badly damaged.
Despite all the difficulties, the faithful of Juodšiliai and the surrounding settlements refused to leave the building to its fate. They decided to restore it to its original purpose. Once funds had been raised, construction work began in 2003 and lasted more than a decade, until it was finally completed in 2016.
Today the Blessed Michael Sopoćko Church in Juodšiliai is not only a religious centre but also a witness to history, recalling difficult days of the past and the strength of people's faith. It is a place where Mass is celebrated in both Lithuanian and Polish, reflecting the cultural and linguistic diversity of the region.