Church of St. Francis Xavier, Kaunas
Encyclopedia
Church of St. Francis Xavier is located in the Old Town of Kaunas
, Lithuania
. The church dedicated to St. Francis Xavier
was built at the Town Hall
Square in the Old Town
of Kaunas
by Jesuits
. They opened their first residence in Kaunas in 1642 and established a chapel in the House of Perkūnas
in 1643. Later they also founded a first four-form school in the city in 1649. The construction of the church started in 1666, and it was consecrated in 1722.
Tsarist Russian
government gave the church to the Orthodox church
for their use in 1824. The church was against assigned to the Jesuits only in 1924. After Lithuania was occupied by Soviets
the St. Francis Xavier church was turned into a technical school, the interior of the church was used as a hall of sports. The church was returned again to the Jesuits in 1989. A renovation of the church took place in 1992.
Kaunas
Kaunas is the second-largest city in Lithuania and has historically been a leading centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaunas was the biggest city and the center of a powiat in Trakai Voivodeship of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania since 1413. During Russian Empire occupation...
, Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
. The church dedicated to St. Francis Xavier
Francis Xavier
Francis Xavier, born Francisco de Jasso y Azpilicueta was a pioneering Roman Catholic missionary born in the Kingdom of Navarre and co-founder of the Society of Jesus. He was a student of Saint Ignatius of Loyola and one of the first seven Jesuits, dedicated at Montmartre in 1534...
was built at the Town Hall
Town Hall, Kaunas
The Town Hall of Kaunas stands in the middle of the Town Hall Square at the heart of the Old Town, Kaunas, Lithuania.The structure dates from the 16th century. It houses a Museum of Ceramics.-History:...
Square in the Old Town
Centras (Kaunas)
Centras is an elderate in the city of Kaunas, Lithuania, based on two neighbourhoods of Kaunas - the Old City and the New City. It lies at the confluence of two major Lithuanian rivers, the Nemunas and the Neris....
of Kaunas
Kaunas
Kaunas is the second-largest city in Lithuania and has historically been a leading centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaunas was the biggest city and the center of a powiat in Trakai Voivodeship of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania since 1413. During Russian Empire occupation...
by Jesuits
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
. They opened their first residence in Kaunas in 1642 and established a chapel in the House of Perkūnas
House of Perkunas
House of Perkūnas is one of the most original and archaic Gothic secular buildings, located in the Old Town of Kaunas, Lithuania. Originally built by Hanseatic merchants and served as their office from 1440 till 1532, it was sold in the 16th century to the Jesuits who had established a chapel there...
in 1643. Later they also founded a first four-form school in the city in 1649. The construction of the church started in 1666, and it was consecrated in 1722.
Tsarist Russian
Tsardom of Russia
The Tsardom of Russia was the name of the centralized Russian state from Ivan IV's assumption of the title of Tsar in 1547 till Peter the Great's foundation of the Russian Empire in 1721.From 1550 to 1700, Russia grew 35,000 km2 a year...
government gave the church to the Orthodox church
Eastern Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Church, officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the second largest Christian denomination in the world, with an estimated 300 million adherents mainly in the countries of Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece,...
for their use in 1824. The church was against assigned to the Jesuits only in 1924. After Lithuania was occupied by Soviets
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
the St. Francis Xavier church was turned into a technical school, the interior of the church was used as a hall of sports. The church was returned again to the Jesuits in 1989. A renovation of the church took place in 1992.