Places to visit

Elizabeth Bendoravičiūtė was a founder of the Monastic Sisters of the Holy Family. With the support of like-minded people, Elizabeth wrote the provisions and on March 11, 1931 established the Lithuanian Catholic Community "Sesutės". The goal was to help people in misery through care, education and brushing in their poverty. Elizabeth was most concerned about the situation of women. She sought to provide education to ordinary village and town girls by setting up a Crafts School. Benefactors gave the sisters a plot of land, where in 1932 the building of the community and the School of Crafts began to be built. In 1935, the house was completed, sisters settled in it, and a seamstress was opened. At that time, the community had 25 girls. In Soviet times, in 1948, a children's home was established in a building deprived of monks. During all the years of Soviet occupation, the sisters carried out their mission, tried to live in communities, apostasy of prayer and activities. There are currently over 30 sisters in the monastery. They live and work in Marijampolė, Vilnius, Kaunas, Vilkaviškis and Rome (Italy). They pay a particular attention to families, children and young people.

Vilkaviškis Diocese Curia in Marijampolė was established in 1991, in a building returned by a secular government. The modernist-style building in Vytautas Park was built in 1934 according to the project of the famous architect Vytautas Landsbergis-Žemkalnis. Then the house of the priests' rest home operated here, various institutions were established during the Soviet era, and after Lithuania regained its independence, the building was renovated and the Curia of Vilkaviškis diocese was established there.

In 1936, the priest Pijus Andziulis, a senior of Marijampolė Marion House, was summoned to the village of Skardupiai. Poor roads led to the idea of proposing to build a church and establish a parish in this place. On September 6, 1937, architect Romanas Steikūnas prepared a project of Skardupiai Church with a bell tower (the bell tower remained unbuilt). In the late 1940s, the Parish of Skardupiai was founded, and a year later st. Mass was perfromed in the new church. It is the only church in Lithuania built and consecrated in the first years of Soviet occupation. During the German occupation, during World War II, a brick cleric, an outbuilding and a parish house with a hall were built. All constructions were organized by the cleric Antanas Ylius, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison in 1945.

Those who go to Marijampolė from Kaunas side have noticed a red brick neo-Gothic tower. It is located in the very center of Sasnava. The Church of the Virgin Mary is one of the most decorated sacred buildings in Užnemunė. The building is three naves, the plan is in the form of a Latin cross. The neo-Gothic oak sac with four evangelist barrels, neobaroque hearse, a watery, kun, created by local masters, has artistic value.

This church is the newest church in Marijampolė. It is a small church with walls made from oak boards, roof coated using red tiles. This church can be found in the northern part of Mokolai. This building was a gift from German Chatalics. It was delivered, built and sanctified in 2014.

It was a church without rectory before getting this name. The church was built in 1888 and it was dedicated for Orthodox. This church has anchorages and seven turrets. The bishop of Seinai passed on this church for Marijonai after First World War. Later, the new owners rearranged the buildings to the church and worked there till it was closed. However, the church was turned into a warehouse in the soviet period. What is more, the church was also as a temple of IX Vytautas crew from 1924. The church was completely closed in 1944 and resumed activity just when Lithuania became an independent country. This building was given back in 1989 and renovated. Finally, the church opened the doors for all people in 1990. The church of St. Vincentas Paulietis was the first reconstructed church after becoming an independent country.

Rygiškių Jono gymnasium is the oldest school in Sūduva region providing secondary education. It was established in 1867 and considered to be unique because of its rich history and cherished traditions. Even in 19th century, gymnasium was well known as the heart of Lithuanian language. A number of famous persons with unique achievements in Lithuanian culture, politics and economy graduated from this school. The history of gymnasium reaches 1840 and some years later, the school was reorganized into a gymnasium, which became exclusive as one weekly Lithuanian language class was included into the programme for the first time in Lithuania. After the uprising of 1863, the Russian Tsarist government banned Lithuanian writing and schools but in 1867 in Marijampolė a school was opened where boys were taught Lithuanian language. Later it became a source of Lithuanianism and independence. At first the school operated in a wooden house of Babariskis, a local resident of Marijampolė. In 1870, at the boundary of Degučiai village, a small stone mansion of a new school was built. After seven years, the right side of the building was made longer and as a result the proportions of the mansion became distorted. In a section built later, a gymnastics hall was established and (around 1894) – an Orthodox chapel which was later demolished. In 1957, the construction of a third floor on the old building of the gymnasium began. In 1979, an overhaul of the school and construction of another wing were started. The construction was completed in 1986. 1871 marked the first time when Lithuanian language was spoken in the gymnasium. During a festive event of the end of the school year, Petras Kriaučiūnas read in Lithuanian a poem translated from Polish. This gymnasium was also the school of the author of idea of an ethnic Lithuanian state Jonas Basanavičius, the author of the national anthem Vincas Kudirka, creator of the literary Lithuanian language Jonas Jablonskis. Six Signatories of the Act of Independence of 16 February 1918. Father ofthe Lithuanian aviation General Antanas Gustaitis. President Kazys Grinius. Blessed archbishop Jurgis Matulaitis. Among the graduates of this gymnasium is also creator of the semiotic studies Algis Julius Greimas together with many other men and women notable for their achievements in the field of Lithuanianism, culture, literature, science etc. In 1920, the gymnasium was named after Rygiškių Jonas. This is a pseudonym of linguist Jonas Jablonskis. In the Soviet times, the school was renamed as Jonas Jablonskis High School. After Independence, in 1992 the gymnasium got back the previous name.

The Evangelical Lutheran church was completed in 1841. In the same year the Evangelical Lutheran school started to work by the church, and soon the tower was built. The church was closed in the beginning of the Second World War, later the church’s property was nationalized and it was turned into grain warehouse. Afterwards the church was used as a sport hall, to which the swimming pool was attached. The building was returned to the Evangelical Lutheran parish in 1992.

Drama theatre and its square remind of a difficult history. It was a place where people attended to Lithuanian evenings, watched plays. Later it was closed and opened again in 1956.  The building was liquidated in 1963, so people created the drama theatre of Marijampole in 1988. The theatre was renovated and transferred to city municipality.  Priest Antanas Kazlauskas initiated the building of hall of St. Mykolas parish in 1937. The walls and roof were constructed in 1938 – 1939, installation work inside started in 1940. The building was unfinished because of nationalism in 1940. The drama theatre of Marijampole was founded in 1992 01 15.

Marijonai press and library was built in 1927 and was working till 1940. It had a huge impact in the Lithuanian press evolution. The printing house released 360 publications and had 6 periodic publications (from 1918 to 1940). The library had more than 50 000 volumes (at that time it was the third biggest library in Lithuania). Also, there was a bindery and periodic publications redactions together with printing house. The building was very spacious and modern, with many separated rooms for administration, printing work and even for short breaks. J. Matulaitis was planning to save everything that was written in the Lithuanian language as well as articles about Lithuania from other countries. The printing house of Marijampolės Marijonai and all the publications are the most important and oldest Lithuania heritage. What is more, the printing house had huge impact at interwar time. Without Lithuanian fonts they also had Greek, Hebraic and Russian fonts. The library was closed in 1940, after Soviet Union occupied Lithuania. Now the printing house have Blessed Jurgis Matulaitis pilgrims center, a library which has rare printed fonts. The building was renovated a couple of years ago.