Sacred places of Lithuania: the Ladder of Passions of Christ and the place of appearance of Our Lady of Mary

Abstract

The study is devoted to two important pilgrim sacred places of Lithuania - the place of appearance of the Mother of Our Lord in Shiluve in 1608 and a chapel of the Ladder of Passions in the Bernardine monastery in Tituvenai. An ancient pagan sanctuary existed from the times immemorial above the stone of colossal sizes in Shiluve. It was the place where festive events took place, and which attracted processions of many thousands believers even from Prussia and not only from remote areas of Lithuania. The basilica, which was built not far from the place of Our Mother of God. appearance contains a wonder-working image in the main altar - a copy of the Salus Populi Romani. The both places are tied up in one complex, which is the reflection of two ancient pilgrim centers of Rome, which appeared way back in the time of emperor Constantine the Great and which centered around Christian reliques brought from Palestine relics: image of Our Mother of God -Salvation of the Roman People (Salus Populi Romani), from the basilica of Santa Maria Madjore and steps of the Ladder from the chapel in Laterano, sprinkled with the blood of the Saviour. The unique Lithuanian replica of the Lateran and Marian basilica complex reflects simultaneously the tradition of the Roman processions from Laterano to Salus Populi Romani and the continued traditional forest festivals, prayers of the Baltic peoples on the ancient sacred place, which organically developed into a new tradition of festive events of absolution of sins and collective praying about the Heavenly intercession of Our Mother of God.