"A hilltop church among ancient pines where Lithuania's Comfort of the Afflicted was crowned at the dawn of freedom"
Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary
Pivašiūnai, Alytus County, Lithuania
Perched on a hill surrounded by ancient pines and birches, the Church of the Assumption in Pivašiūnai shelters a miraculous 17th-century painting crowned with papal crowns in 1988 — the year Lithuania began its journey toward independence. Thousands of pilgrims climb this hill each August for the eight-day Žolinė feast, seeking the comfort that gave the image its title: Nuliūdusiųjų Paguoda, Comfort of the Afflicted.
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Quick Facts
Location
Pivašiūnai, Alytus County, Lithuania
Tradition
Site Type
Coordinates
54.4608, 24.3726
Last Updated
Feb 14, 2026
Learn More
Pivašiūnai's pilgrimage tradition stretches from 17th-century Benedictine stewardship through Soviet-era persistence to a 1988 crowning that coincided with Lithuania's national awakening.
Origin Story
Jonas Klockis, a devout Kaunas city official, built the first church around 1630 and likely commissioned the miraculous painting. His 1633 testament bequeathed the estate to the Benedictine monks of Old Trakai, who administered the parish until 1845 and established the pilgrimage infrastructure. The current church was built in 1825 in the Classicist style. In 1988, Cardinal Vincentas Sladkevičius crowned the painting with crowns blessed by Pope John Paul II, giving it the title 'Comfort of the Afflicted.'
Key Figures
Jonas Klockis
Kaunas city official who founded the church c. 1630 and bequeathed the estate to the Benedictines
Benedictine monks of Old Trakai
Administered the parish from 1633 to 1845, establishing the pilgrimage tradition
Cardinal Vincentas Sladkevičius
Crowned the miraculous painting in 1988 with papal-blessed crowns, coinciding with Lithuania's national revival
Pope John Paul II
Blessed the crowns used in the 1988 coronation and inspired the Pilgrim Route that includes Pivašiūnai
Spiritual Lineage
Pivašiūnai belongs to the Lithuanian network of Marian pilgrimage sites alongside Šiluva, Krekenava, and Žemaičių Kalvarija. The Benedictine connection links it to Old Trakai, one of Lithuania's earliest monastic foundations. The site is now within the Kaišiadorys Diocese.
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