Klaipėda Church of Christ the King

Old Klaipėda was being destroyed during World War II. Almost all houses of prayer were bombarded in January of 1945. The red brick Gothic style Catholic church which stood in the intersection of S. Daukanto and Plačiosios streets was also demolished. Witnesses of the events of those days mention that there was “a large hole in the middle, part of the upper tower collapsed inward, the roof was missing, but the walls survived”. All elements of fine architecture belonging to the Catholic parish were destroyed during the Soviet era, just like all the other churches of the city. At the time, a residential house of Soviet architecture was built on the land where the Catholic Church of the Holy Trinity stood. Under the request of the bishop of Telšiai signed in May of 1945, the Irvingite Apostolic Church located at the corner of Jūros aikštės and Bokštų streets was given back to Catholics at the end of the same year. It was the former German Old Catholic church Katolische Apostolische Gemeindekirche. During the same year, the church was granted the title of Christ the King. 

From the post-war period to 1988, the Church of Christ the King was the only available Catholic house of prayer in Klaipėda. During the Soviet period, conditions to participate in community life were very restricted for all the believers in Lithuania. This difficult period also affected Klaipėda parish of Christ the King. Although believers experienced many constraints and restrictions on the freedom to perform religious practices, nevertheless hundreds of children were prepared in the Church of Christ the King for their first confession and Communion. Marriages were also blessed here.

In 1997, Klaipėda Church of Christ the King was reconstructed by adding an apse and sacristy according to the project of architect Saulius Prikockis.

Under the care of Ramūnas Milikas who was the main sponsor of the church and initiator of the church renovation idea, the building underwent major repairs in 2001 according to the project of architect Saulius Manomaitis. The interior of the church was decorated with the icons of the Christ the King and the Passion of Christ, painted by the artists Dalia Skardžiūtė, Carlo Bertagnin OFM and Paulius Vaineikis OFM. The main accent of the interior is the painting of the Christ the King on the high altar, painted in the same style as the Stations of the Cross. The icon of the Christ, King of the Universe, features the Christ, sitting on the throne with the Universe under his feet.

Sources:

1. https://telsiuvyskupija.lt