{"id":19086,"date":"2022-01-21T15:21:43","date_gmt":"2022-01-21T13:21:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.visit-palanga.lt\/lankytinos-vietos\/medine-svc-mergeles-marijos-juru-zvaigzdes-baznycia\/"},"modified":"2025-06-08T14:23:30","modified_gmt":"2025-06-08T11:23:30","slug":"wooden-church-of-the-most-holy-virgin-mary-star-of-the-seas","status":"publish","type":"lankytina_vieta","link":"https:\/\/www.visit-palanga.lt\/en\/sightseeing-places\/wooden-church-of-the-most-holy-virgin-mary-star-of-the-seas\/","title":{"rendered":"Wooden Chapel of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Star of the Sea"},"template":"","vietu_kategorija":[733],"class_list":["post-19086","lankytina_vieta","type-lankytina_vieta","status-publish","hentry","vietu_kategorija-churches-and-chapels"],"acf":{"irasas_1_latitude":"56.032068","irasas_1_longitude":"21.099941","irasas_1_nuotrauka":15492,"irasas_1_nuotraukos_rodymas":"on","irasas_1_nuotrauka_2":"","irasas_1_aprasymas":"In 1929, Prelate Dr. Jurgis Galdikas, who was an inspector and teacher at the Tel\u0161iai Seminary, built a wooden chapel on the banks of the \u0160ventoji River, a mile away from the emerging fishing port, on the farmstead of his sister Monika Kaunien\u0117. He built a wooden church on the farmstead of his sister Monika Kaunien\u0117, covered it with boards on the outside and inside, and covered the roof with galvanized sheet metal. The builder himself drew up the plans for the church. He named the church \"Stella Maris\" \u2013 Mary, Star of the Sea. The title is expressed in an artistic painting above the altar. It is said that there was a great storm at sea that year, which caught the fishermen at sea, several of whom drowned, while some were saved. The surviving fishermen, wanting to thank Mary for saving them, brought materials for the church, prepared in the carpentry workshops of Klaip\u0117da, to \u0160ventoji by barge. The materials were transported from \u0160ventoji to the construction site and assembled there. Since Palanga and \u0160ventoji are 12 km apart, the builder entrusted his private church to the bishop of Tel\u0161iai and allowed him to hold services for the residents of the newly established town and its surroundings. This later became the center of the \u0160ventoji parish. The church has two art monuments of local significance: a painting of St. Casimir (late 19th century, oil on canvas, artist unknown) and a bell (brass) with the inscription \"Mark Ulman, Karaliau\u010dius.\" Casimir (late 19th century, oil on canvas, author unknown) and a bell (brass) with the inscription \"Mark Ulman, Karaliau\u010dius 1608 m.\" This bell is one of the oldest in our country, older than all the bells in Palanga.\r\n\r\nCultural heritage objects<\/em>\r\n\r\nIn the wooden Chapel of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Star of the Sea: Painting \"St. Casimir\"\r\n