In short

The interior of this church is one of the most valuable of all Lithuanian churches and is characterised by rococo decorations. The church has sixteen altars and the eye-catching organs are almost entirely original, dating back to the 18^th century.

The church is still operating and services are conducted in Polish. On 5 September 1993, Pope John Paul II met with Polish believers in this church. Human remains believed to be victims of wars or epidemics are still present in the basements.

In July 2011, a group of archaeologists completed an inspection and registration of mummies stored in the basements of the church. A total of 23 mummies were found, one third of which are female, one-third male, and one-third children.

Brief History

One of the most ornate Baroque churches in Vilnius, many believe that the city’s first church stood in this place when Gediminas ruled. Vytautas built the Church of the Holy Spirit at the beginning of the 15^th century, and it was later given to the oldest Dominican Monastery in Lithuania.

The church was expanded and reconstructed between 1679-1888. In the middle of the 19^th century, the Tsarist authority closed the monastery and turned the church into a parish. Today, the Polish Catholic community gathers there.