Hill of Crosses - Šiauliai, Lithuania
N 56° 00.864 E 023° 24.575
34V E 650207 N 6210301
An estimated 200,000 crosses are currently estimated to occur at the Hill of Crosses in Šiauliai, Lithuania.
Waymark Code: WMPJRG
Location: Lithuania
Date Posted: 09/09/2015
Views: 4
The historical marker provides text in Lithuanian, Polish, and English. The English text reads:
"The Hill of Crosses is a unique place in terms of both its scale and its history. At present some 200,000 crosses of various sizes adorn the hill. By continually putting up crosses there people express their devotion to Christ, pray for his help and mercy, and identify Lithuania as a Christian land. The site is a reflection of the nation’s spontaneous religiousness and is probably the place in Lithuania that is most often visited by pilgrims today. The Hill of Crosses gained immense significance in the lives of Lithuanian believers during the Soviet era as a sign of resistance to the totalitarian regime. After the re-establishment of independence new life has been breathed into the Hill of Crosses and it has become a symbol of the entire nation’s unshakeable faith, its past suffering and hope. The Hill of Crosses gained fame throughout the world on 7 September 1993 when Pope John Paul II visited it and celebrated the Holy Mass for 100,000 people who gathered there. In 1994 a cross was put up on the site using the crucifix that Pope John Paul II gave to Lithuania. The cross blessed by Pope Benedict XVI was added in 2006. At the foot of the Hill of Crosses stands a Franciscan monastery built with the encouragement of Pope John Paul II and consecrated in 2000. The Feast of the Hill of Crosses, reinstated in 1997, draws large crowds each year on the last Sunday of July."
Group that erected the marker: Unknown
URL of a web site with more information about the history mentioned on the sign: [Web Link]
Address of where the marker is located. Approximate if necessary:
Tilžės str. 186
Šiauliai, Lithuania
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Visit Instructions:
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