The Catholic Pilgrim's Guide to Šiluva, Lithuania

Lithuania's most sacred Marian shrine, where the weeping Virgin appeared to shepherd children in 1608—Europe's first such apparition.

In the summer of 1608, shepherd children tending their flocks near the village of Šiluva saw something extraordinary: a beautiful young woman standing on a large rock, holding a baby in her arms and weeping bitterly. Word spread quickly, and the next day a crowd gathered—including a Calvinist minister. When he asked why she wept, the woman answered: "You plow and sow seed here where formerly my Son was honored." Everyone present recognized her as the Blessed Virgin Mary. What followed would transform a region that had become almost entirely Protestant back to the Catholic faith. The apparition's remarkable witness list—including Calvinists who had no reason to invent such a story—makes Šiluva unique among Marian sites. This was no Catholic apparition to Catholics; it was Mary appearing to a Protestant community, weeping over an abandoned altar, and speaking to those who had left the faith of their ancestors. Today, the late Baroque basilica and soaring neo-Gothic Apparition Chapel rise above the gentle Samogitian countryside, drawing a quarter million pilgrims annually to the place Pope Pius XI called part of "Terra Mariana"—Mary's Land. The rock upon which the Virgin stood remains preserved beneath the chapel altar, worn smooth by the lips of countless pilgrims.

📜 History & Spiritual Significance

Lithuania was among the last European nations to embrace Christianity. Grand Duke Jogaila received baptism only in 1387 when he married Jadwiga, Queen of Poland, and the conversion of his subjects proceeded gradually over generations. Marian devotion took root early in this newly Christian land. In 1457, a nobleman named Petras Gedgaudas, who served Grand Duke Vytautas the Great, donated land for a church in Šiluva dedicated to the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. He brought back from Rome a beautiful icon of the Madonna and Child, and pilgrims soon began arriving each September for the feast day. The Protestant Reformation reached Lithuania in the 16th century with devastating effect. By 1532, Lutheranism had gained adherents; by 1551, Calvinism had swept through the region. The Šiluva church was seized by civil authorities, and though Catholic pilgrims continued to brave Calvinist hostility to celebrate the Nativity feast, the shrine fell into decline. Around 1569, foreseeing the end, the last parish priest Father John Holubka gathered the church's treasures—the precious icon, gold chalices, vestments, and property documents—into an ironclad chest and buried it near a large rock on the church grounds. The wooden church was eventually demolished, the ground leveled, and farming resumed on the sacred site. Forty years passed. Catholics attempted to reclaim the property through legal proceedings but lacked the ownership documents. Then came that summer day in 1608 when the shepherd children saw the weeping woman. The apparition's message cut to the heart: this ground where crops now grew had once been a place of worship. A very old blind man, hearing the news in a neighboring village, suddenly remembered a night eighty years earlier when he had helped Father Holubka bury something important. Villagers led him to the field. The moment he reached the apparition site, his sight was miraculously restored—the first of many miracles attributed to Our Lady of Šiluva. He pointed to the exact spot. The ironclad chest emerged from the earth, its contents perfectly preserved. With the original deeds recovered, the legal battle turned. In 1622, the land was officially returned to the Catholic Church. A wooden chapel rose immediately, and by 1628, eleven thousand people received Holy Communion at the feast day Mass—an astonishing number for the small village. The region's return to Catholicism was swift and lasting. In 1641, a larger church was built; in 1643, a brick chapel marked the apparition site. The Vatican formally confirmed the apparition's authenticity on August 17, 1775, when Pope Pius VI issued a papal decree. The following year, with papal permission, Bishop Stephen J. Giedraitis presided over the solemn coronation of the miraculous icon on September 8, 1786, with 30,000 pilgrims attending over three days. The current late Baroque basilica was consecrated that same year. Before the 20th century's upheavals, processions departed from every Lithuanian town bound for Šiluva each September. Through periods of suppression and trial, the faithful persevered—devotion to Our Lady of Šiluva endured even when authorities attempted to block roads and discourage pilgrimages. In 1988, Pope John Paul II elevated the shrine to a Minor Basilica. Five years later, on September 7, 1993, just two years after Lithuania regained independence, the Pope himself knelt in prayer at the Apparition Chapel and entrusted the nation to Mary's protection. He left a golden rosary made by Vatican craftsmen as a memento. Pope Benedict XVI blessed new golden crowns for the icon in 2006, and in 2008 a papal legate joined the 400th anniversary celebrations of the apparition. Today, Our Lady of Šiluva is invoked especially by those who have lost their faith and by those who pray for them—a fitting patronage given the apparition's history.

☩ Pilgrimage Sites in Šiluva

The Šiluva pilgrimage complex centers on two main buildings facing each other across a broad square: the late Baroque Basilica of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the striking neo-Gothic Chapel of the Apparition. Between them, pilgrims cross open ground that was once farmland—the very fields where the Virgin wept over the abandoned altar. The square comes alive during the September Šilinės celebrations, when tens of thousands gather for processions, outdoor Masses, and candlelit devotions.

Basilica of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Šiluvos Bazilika / Švč. Mergelės Marijos Gimimo bazilika

Consecrated in 1786, this red-brick church represents one of the finest and most intact examples of late Baroque sacred architecture in Lithuania. The interior preserves its original 18th-century character with remarkable completeness. Above the main altar hangs the miraculous icon of Our Lady of Šiluva, its silver-gilt casing fashioned from votive offerings by the renowned Koenigsberg goldsmith Lawrence Hoffman. The Madonna and Child, painted in the early 17th century following the Byzantine Hodegetria iconographic tradition, takes its prototype from the icon Santa Maria della Neve in Rome's Basilica of Saint Mary Major.

The image was solemnly crowned in 1786 and re-crowned with gold crowns blessed by Pope Benedict XVI in 2006. Pope John Paul II left his golden rosary here during his 1993 visit. The basilica serves as the main venue for the Šilinės feast celebrations, with Masses filling the nave and overflowing into the square.

Address M. Jurgaičio g. 2, Šiluva, 60432, Raseiniai District, Lithuania GPS 55.5302, 23.2246

Map Google Maps Web siluva.lt

Chapel of the Apparition

Apsireiškimo koplyčia

This magnificent neo-Gothic and Egyptian Revival chapel, completed in 1924 and designed by the architect and sculptor Antanas Vivulskis, marks the exact location where the Virgin Mary appeared to the shepherd children in 1608. Rising 44 meters, its distinctive tower is the tallest church steeple in Lithuania—visible for miles across the Samogitian countryside and serving as a beacon for approaching pilgrims.

Beneath the chapel altar lies the sacred rock upon which Mary stood weeping, now worn smooth by centuries of pilgrim kisses. The chapel's unique architectural style—blending neo-Gothic verticality with Egyptian-influenced columns—creates an atmosphere both ancient and timeless. Vivulskis conceived it as a modern reliquary for the apparition site, and pilgrims queue throughout the day to venerate the rock and pray at the altar.

Address Šiluva, 60432, Raseiniai District, Lithuania GPS 55.5298, 23.2252

Map Google Maps

Šiluva Pilgrim Center

Šiluvos piligrimų centras

The modern Pilgrim Center serves visitors with an exhibition on Šiluva's history and the 1608 apparition, a gift shop with religious items, and tourist information services. The center coordinates pilgrimages and provides resources in multiple languages. During summer months, the attached seminary building offers retreat accommodations for clergy and lay groups.

Address M. Jurgaičio a. 17A, Šiluva, 60433, Raseiniai District, Lithuania GPS 55.5305, 23.2243

Map Google Maps Web siluva.lt

🕯️ Annual Feast Days & Celebrations

Šilinės — September 8–15

The great eight-day indulgenced celebration, known simply as "Šilinės" (Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary), draws tens of thousands of pilgrims from across Lithuania and beyond. Continuous Masses, candlelit processions between the basilica and chapel, confessions, and Eucharistic adoration transform this quiet village into the spiritual center of the nation. Each day focuses on a particular theme or group: families, youth, the sick, religious, and the nation itself.

Marian Day — 13th of Each Month

Special devotions honor Our Lady on the 13th of every month, echoing the rhythm established at Fatima and drawing pilgrims for prayer, confession, and Mass throughout the year at the Basilica and Apparition Chapel.

🛏️ Where to Stay

Šiluvos Piligrimų Centras (pilgrim accommodation) — Modern pilgrim center offering hostel-style accommodations with free WiFi, shared lounge, tour desk, and free parking. Private and shared bathroom options available. siluva.lt ∙ Reserve this hotel

John Paul II Pilgrim House (pilgrim accommodation) — Pilgrim house named after Pope John Paul II, located steps from the shrine. Recently renovated with garden views, terraces, private bathrooms, and on-site breakfast. Rated 9.5 on Booking.com. siluva.lt ∙ Reserve this hotel

Nakvynė Tytuvėnuose (pilgrim accommodation) — Recently renovated guesthouse in Tytuvėnai (8 km from Šiluva), a two-minute walk from the Bernardine monastery. Family rooms with private bathrooms, air conditioning, and parking. Excellent base for pilgrims walking the traditional route. Reserve this hotel

🚗 Getting There

By Car from Kaunas (60 km / 50 minutes) Take the A1 highway west toward Klaipėda, then exit at Kryžkalnis and follow signs north to Šiluva via Road 148. Free parking available at the Pilgrim Center. By Car from Vilnius (150 km / 2 hours) Take the A1 highway west toward Kaunas, continue past Kaunas toward Klaipėda, then exit at Kryžkalnis and follow signs to Šiluva. By Bus from Šiauliai (30 minutes) Regular bus service operates from Šiauliai to Šiluva. From Šiauliai bus station, purchase a ticket for Šiluva; buses run several times daily. The basilica is a 5-minute walk from the bus stop. Nearest Airports

  • Kaunas Airport (KUN): 68 km
  • Vilnius Airport (VNO): 155 km

Traditional Walking Pilgrimages On the last Sunday of August, pilgrims traditionally walk to Šiluva from Tytuvėnai (17 km) and from the Dubysa Valley, giving thanks for Lithuania's freedom. Pilgrimages are also organized from the Hill of Crosses (Kryžių kalnas), Lithuania's extraordinary site of faith resistance.

📚 Further Reading

Books:

  • Bob and Penny Lord, Our Lady of Siluva (Many Faces of Mary Book II) – Devotional account of the 1608 apparition and Lithuania's "holy stubbornness" in preserving the Catholic faith through centuries of trial.

Articles & Online Resources:

  • Our Lady of Šiluva – Comprehensive Wikipedia article on the apparition history.
  • Virtually Tour the Our Lady of Šiluva Chapel – The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. houses a chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Šiluva, built by Lithuanian émigrés and refugees who fled Soviet occupation. Organized in 1963 under Bishop Vincent Brizgys and dedicated in 1966, the chapel displays works by Lithuanian artists in exile—a testament to faith preserved far from home when worship at the original shrine was suppressed.
  • Pope John Paul II Pilgrim Route – Official site for Lithuania's national pilgrimage trail connecting 16 sacred sites including Šiluva.

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🔗 Useful Links

🪶 Closing Reflection

"Holy Virgin of Šiluva, 'Sanitas Aegrotorum'—Health of the Sick, today I address you with great emotion as Pastor of the universal Church. During long years of oppressive suffering and trials, you never ceased to keep watch over Lithuania, the Land of Crosses."
— Pope St. John Paul II, Homily at Šiluva, September 7, 1993