Ensemble of the St. Rosary Virgin Mary Church, the bell tower and the monastery in Pumpėnai

  • Pumpėnų Švč. M. Marijos Škaplierinės bažnyčios, vienuolyno ir varpinės ansamblis
This Church is at 10, Street P.Cvirkos in Pumpėnai, Pasvalys district, a half of a kilometre to the east of the road Panevėžys–Pasvalys, on the left bank of the River Įstra. The bricked Church was built in 1818 in the late Baroque style, but it has some features of Classicism as well. It is estimated that the first Church was built by 1638 (because of one bell transported to Russia in 1915. It was marked by the date of 1638). In 1675, the landowners Jurgis and Povilas Zavadskai housed some Brothers of Carmelites and built a wooden Church for them. In 1770, it burned down together with the monastery. Since 1782, there was a parish school. In 1784, the manor with 16 yards, donated to monks, passed to Mr. Juozapas Šiška. From 1784 to1818, the present stone church was built. In 1820, five Carmelite monks lived in Pumpėnai. They were a jurisdiction in the town. From 1820 to 1832, three new altars were built. In 1832, the Russian government closed down the monastery, but the building of monastery remained to the parish. On the 25 th May 1880, Bishop Aleksandras Beresnevičius consecrated the Church. In 1803, the heritage of the priest Teodoras Straševičius was donated to build a hospice for old people. In 1830, there was built a stone bell tower and a bricked fence around the churchyard. The parish priest J. Ulasevičius who was the priest from 1853 to 1859 rebuilt the hospice, donated money to the parish school and repaired the Church. In 1898, the parish priest Jonas Šimkevičius installed the Organ of 20 registers (the first Organ was installed by 1804). From 1900 to 1915 the parish priest was Juozapas Viksva, who restored outbuildings, renewed the Church and the churchyard fence. He was buried in the churchyard. In 1912, a department of Lithuanian Catholic Total Abstinence Society was established. In 1913, there was a tearoom and a bakery. The Church in the late Baroque style and has some features of Classicism. It is of a rectangular plan (64 by 32, 5 m), hall shaped without any towers with a semi-circular apse and three annexes. Inside there are three vaulted naves. The churchyard wall is made of stones, with a rubble belfry fitted in. There is an old cemetery in the churchyard.
  • GPS coordinates: 55.93534, 24.34247