PLACES TO VISIT

Sacred Heart Franciscan Missionary Congregation

If not for a modest signboard, travelers visiting Kretinga might not even realize that there is a women’s monastery above the tearoom "Špitolė," so beloved by the inhabitants of Kretinga. However, every local resident knows that the three Franciscan Missionaries, who are always in a good mood, live there. The monastery door is always open to everyone; one just has to ring the bell. The sisters working at the school welcome children and people seeking spiritual help. The roots of the congregation lie in sunny Italy, where the monastery was established in 1861. The sisters came to Kretinga in 1995, with a mission to revive faith in the community that had suffered under Soviet oppression. Soon, the sisters became part of the Kretinga community; they were loved by everyone and were always open to conversation, a cup of tea, and discussion.