"A miraculous painting that survived every fire, crowned Mother of Hope after nearly 500 years of answered prayers"
Basilica of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary
Krekenava, Panevėžys County, Lithuania
In the heart of Aukštaitija, the neo-Gothic basilica of Krekenava shelters a painting of the Mother of God that has drawn pilgrims for nearly five centuries. Adorned with silver garments and precious stones, surrounded by votive offerings testifying to answered prayers, the image survived multiple church fires that destroyed everything around it. Tens of thousands gather each August for Žolinė, blending Catholic devotion with ancient Lithuanian herb-blessing traditions.
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Quick Facts
Location
Krekenava, Panevėžys County, Lithuania
Coordinates
55.5458, 24.0979
Last Updated
Feb 14, 2026
Learn More
Krekenava traces its sacred history from Grand Duke Vytautas's 1419 church through five centuries of Marian devotion centered on a miraculous painting whose origin and survival remain partly unexplained.
Origin Story
Grand Duke Vytautas the Great built the first church at Krekenava in 1419, making it one of Lithuania's earliest Christian foundations. The miraculous painting was donated by parson Nicolao Povetrius in the early 17th century, who claimed he brought it from Rome. The painting survived multiple fires that destroyed successive wooden churches, each survival deepening the faithful's conviction of its miraculous character. The current neo-Gothic basilica was built in 1901.
Key Figures
Grand Duke Vytautas the Great
Built the first church at Krekenava in 1419, one of Lithuania's earliest Christian foundations
Parson Nicolao Povetrius (Mikalojus Povetrijus)
Donated the miraculous painting in the early 17th century, claiming Roman provenance
Pope John Paul II
Granted perpetual plenary indulgence in 1999; initiated the Martyrology honoring Krekenava's eight martyrs
Pope Francis
Blessed the golden diadems used in the 2025 coronation of the painting as 'Mother of Hope'
Eight martyrs of Krekenava
Vytautas Kadžys, Julionas Kisielius, Romualdas Klieris, Ignas Rutkauskas, Pranas Smailys, Simonas Rapšys, Antanas Kurieckis, and Juozas Jakaitis — gave their lives in defense of the faith during Soviet occupation
Spiritual Lineage
Krekenava belongs to the tradition of Lithuanian Marian shrine devotion, alongside Šiluva and Pivašiūnai. It is the only daughter shrine of Rome's Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Lithuania. The Žolinė herb-blessing tradition connects Catholic practice to pre-Christian Lithuanian earth spirituality.
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