Church of the Blessed Sacrament, Kaunas

Church of the Blessed Sacrament
The main façade after partial restoration
Religion
AffiliationRoman Catholic
DistrictOld Town
LeadershipRoman Catholic Archdiocese of Kaunas
Location
LocationKaunas, Lithuania
Geographic coordinates54°53′48.58″N 23°53′44.71″E / 54.8968278°N 23.8957528°E / 54.8968278; 23.8957528
Architecture
TypeChurch
StyleBaroque
Completed1690
Specifications
Dome(s)1
MaterialsMasonry (brick)

Church of the Blessed Sacrament or Corpus Christi Church (Lithuanian: Kauno Švč. Sakramento bažnyčia or Kauno Dievo kūno bažnyčia) is a Roman Catholic church in the Old Town of Kaunas, Lithuania.[1][2][3]

History

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In the first half of the 17th century the Dominican Order monks arrived in Kaunas and in 1641 Lithuanian Grand Duke Władysław IV Vasa granted a permission for them to build the Church of the Blessed Sacrament and the Dominican Monastery, both of which were completed in the late 17th century.[4]

The church was damaged by the Napoleonic Army in 1812 and together with the Dominican Monastery was closed in 1845 by the order of Russian tsar Nicholas I of Russia, in 1865 it was converted into an Orthodox church.[5][6]

In the 20th century the church was returned to Catholics during the interwar period, however after the Soviet occupation of Lithuania the church was converted into a movie theatre and once again damaged, but in the 2020s its restoration works were started.[6][7][8]

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References

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  1. ^ "Kauno Dievo Kūno bažnyčia ir dominikonų vienuolynas". autc.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 12 July 2020.
  2. ^ "Kauno Švč. Sakramento bažnyčia". pamatyklietuvoje.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 12 July 2020.
  3. ^ "Bažnyčia, kurią žino nedaugelis". Kauno.diena.lt (in Lithuanian). 25 October 2016. Retrieved 12 July 2020.
  4. ^ "Kauno Dievo Kūno bažnyčia ir dominikonų vienuolynas". Autc.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 1 September 2024.
  5. ^ "Skaudžią istoriją menanti Kauno bažnyčia gali atgyti". DELFI (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 12 July 2020.
  6. ^ a b Oniščik, Marija (19 July 2019). "Kaunas nykstantis ir išnykęs: Švč. Sakramento bažnyčia ir Domininkonų vienuolynas". Kauno.Diena.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 1 September 2024.
  7. ^ "Kauno Švč. Sakramento bažnyčios virsmas: iš barokinės – į cerkvę, sovietmečiu – į kino teatrą". Lithuanian National Radio and Television (in Lithuanian). 13 January 2024. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
  8. ^ Garnienė, Aušra (6 September 2020). "Arkivyskupas K. Kėvalas: bažnyčią tvarkysime be šou". Kauno.Diena.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 1 September 2024.