Kaunas our Lord Jesus Christ's Resurrection Basilica ( lt, Kauno mūsų Viešpaties Jėzaus Kristaus Prisikėlimo bazilika) is a monumental
Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
* Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
* Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...
church in
Kaunas,
Lithuania. The church was
consecrated in 2004, and in
2005 it was finally completed. It is the largest
basilica
In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica is a large public building with multiple functions, typically built alongside the town's Forum (Roman), forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek East. The building ...
l church in the
Baltic States.
History
After
Lithuania regained independence in 1918, the concept of a new church that would express gratitude to God for its regained freedom arose. A committee led by president
Antanas Smetona
Antanas Smetona (; 10 August 1874 – 9 January 1944) was a Lithuanian intellectual and journalist and the first President of Lithuania from 1919 to 1920 and again from 1926 to 1940, before its occupation by the Soviet Union. He was one of the ...
was established in 1926 to oversee its construction. The City of Kaunas was chosen as its site, since the historic capital of Lithuania,
Vilnius
Vilnius ( , ; see also other names) is the capital and largest city of Lithuania, with a population of 592,389 (according to the state register) or 625,107 (according to the municipality of Vilnius). The population of Vilnius's functional urb ...
, was part of
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...
between 1920 and 1939. A design competition was held in 1928 and the proposal drawn up by
Karolis Reisonas was chosen for the church as the best. Due to the technical difficulties arising from the grand scope of the design, and dramatic escalation of its cost estimates, the final design was not approved until 1933.
The first cornerstone for the church was brought from
Jerusalem
Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...
's
Mount Olive in 1934, marking the church's first symbolic milestone. Funds for the construction were raised in Lithuania and abroad. The prominent
Lithuanian parson
Feliksas Kapočius
Feliksas is a Lithuanian male given name, which is derived from the Latin name Felix, meaning "lucky".''Behind the Name''"Given Name Felix" Retrieved on 23 January 2016.
*Feliksas Daukantas (1915–1995), Lithuanian artist
*Feliksas Jakubauskas ...
was particularly involved not only in the details of the building project, but also in its funding. He traveled through the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
, where many Lithuanian émigrés were living, to enlist support. The construction underwent several setbacks, and at times was suspended for lack of funding.
In 1936 certain
Czechoslovak
Czechoslovak may refer to:
*A demonym or adjective pertaining to Czechoslovakia (1918–93)
**First Czechoslovak Republic (1918–38)
**Second Czechoslovak Republic (1938–39)
**Third Czechoslovak Republic (1948–60)
**Fourth Czechoslovak Repub ...
architects from
Prague
Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and List of cities in the Czech Republic, largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 milli ...
said that the church will become a masterpiece of
modern architecture
Modern architecture, or modernist architecture, was an architectural movement or architectural style based upon new and innovative technologies of construction, particularly the use of glass, steel, and reinforced concrete; the idea that for ...
in the
Baltics
The Baltic states, et, Balti riigid or the Baltic countries is a geopolitical term, which currently is used to group three countries: Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. All three countries are members of NATO, the European Union, the Eurozone, ...
. In 1938 the walls and roof of the church were completed, and by 1940 it was largely finished; at this point around one million
litas had been spent, most of it from individual donations. Further work on the church was suspended during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
. The
Nazi occupational authorities used the church as a storeroom; during the
Soviet occupation of Lithuania
The Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania were invaded and occupied in June 1940 by the Soviet Union, under the leadership of Stalin and auspices of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact that had been signed between Nazi Germany and the Soviet ...
, the building was confiscated by the government. In 1952
Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Ioseb Besarionis dze Jughashvili; – 5 March 1953) was a Georgian revolutionary and Soviet political leader who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until his death in 1953. He held power as General Secretar ...
decreed that it be used as a factory; the cross atop the tower was demolished, as was the chapel.
[L. Klusaitė]
Prisikėlimo bažnyčios likimas, užstrigęs prie dvasinio tautos atgimimo slenksčio
Accessed October 15, 2006
The church structure was used as a radio factory until the Lithuanian national awakening in 1988. Soon thereafter, control of the church was returned to a newly founded council. During the 1990s, its rehabilitation met with further obstacles; church and state had been officially separated, and Lithuanian citizens struggled with economic downturns during the transition to a
market economy. In any event, the work continued. Funding was provided by both private sources and the Lithuanian government, and the church was consecrated in 2004.
In 2015 the church received the minor basilica title from
Pope Francis
Pope Francis ( la, Franciscus; it, Francesco; es, link=, Francisco; born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 17 December 1936) is the head of the Catholic Church. He has been the bishop of Rome and sovereign of the Vatican City State since 13 March 2013. ...
.
Resurrection Basilica today
The church now features two towers: one is 70 meters high, and a lower one arises from the main
altar
An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, churches, and other places of worship. They are used particularly in paga ...
. In the main tower's upper level there is an additional chapel. An elevator permits access to the church's roof, which affords a panoramic view of the city.
The church stands atop Kaunas's Green Hill, ''
Žaliakalnis
Žaliakalnis (literally, "the green hill") is an elderate in Lithuania's second largest city, Kaunas. Žaliakalnis is located north of the old town and the city center area, between the Neris and Girstupis valleys. It is one of the largest reside ...
''. Its cellarage houses a
columbarium
A columbarium (; pl. columbaria) is a structure for the reverential and usually public storage of funerary urns, holding cremated remains of the deceased.
The term can also mean the nesting boxes of pigeons. The term comes from the Latin "''colu ...
and a parish museum. The church is not solely dedicated to Roman Catholic ceremonies - it is also used for community gatherings and events, and as a preschool. The sanctuary seats 400; altogether, it can accommodate about 5,000 people.
Notes
References
*B. Kviklys. Mūsų Lietuva. Vilnius, 1991. T-II
The History of Christ’s Resurrection Church and Parish Accessed October 14, 2006.
External links
{{Coord, 54.902, N, 23.917, E, type:landmark, display=title
Roman Catholic churches completed in 2005
Roman Catholic churches in Kaunas
History of Kaunas
Roman Catholic churches in Lithuania
21st-century Roman Catholic church buildings