Šiluva to host major religious jubilee in September 2026

The town of Šiluva will host the Great Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, known as Šilinės, from September 5 to 15, 2026. This year’s celebrations mark a double jubilee: the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the Lithuanian Church Province and the Kaunas Archdiocese in 1926, and the 50th anniversary of the Šiluva Basilica receiving its minor basilica status in 1976.

The program includes various religious services, such as a procession with the Blessed Sacrament from the Apparition Chapel to the Basilica on the evening of September 5. Specific days within the festival are dedicated to different intentions, including thanks for the fruits of the earth, peace, families, youth, the sick, and those serving the community.

Kaunas Archbishop Metropolitan Kęstutis Kėvalas emphasized that the centenary serves as a new beginning for the archdiocese. The celebrations aim to foster more open and missionary Christian communities, using the historical milestones as a foundation to look toward the future of the Church.