Kretinga Lourdes

The Kretinga Lourdes is a replica of the Lourdes grotto, located in Kretinga, Lithuania, in a valley by the Pastauninkas stream, between the Catholic church and St. Anthony's mansion (on J. Pabrėžos Street).

It was built in 1933, marking the 75th anniversary of the apparition of the Virgin Mary at Lourdes, on the initiative of the Franciscan friars, in particular the monastery's guardian, Father Augustinas Dirvelė, who traveled to Lourdes in France twice for this purpose. The cast-iron statues of the Virgin Mary and St. Bernadette Soubirous were commissioned and made in Lourdes, France, then brought to Lithuania and donated to Kretinga by Liudvika Gedminaitė, an American Lithuanian and Franciscan tertiary. She also donated the altar furnishings; the total cost was about 4,500 litas. Because the statues were cast iron, each one had to be carried by six men.

Unlike its French counterpart, the Kretinga grotto is built not from rock but from field stones. The grotto, about 7×7 meters, was formed into the slope of a hill. Stones from an old stone-built brewery, which the friars demolished, were used in its construction.

Kretinga Lourdes is considered one of the most impressive Lourdes grottos in Lithuania. Various events take place nearby, including celebrations of the Franciscan gymnasium, the feasts (indulgences) of St. Anthony and the Porziuncula, Christmas, Easter and Pentecost mystery plays, and, since 1990, an annual festival of Lithuanian children's church choirs held on the last Saturday of May. The site is visited by people of different faiths and beliefs, as well as visitors to the town. Today, Kretinga Lourdes is part of the town's history, religious culture and architectural heritage, and one of Kretinga's most important symbols.