The Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Star of the Sea in Šventoji feels like it belongs to the coastline as much as it belongs to the town. It stands in the centre of Šventoji (in the northern part of Palanga), and its dedication—Star of the Sea—is more than poetic wording. It’s a coastal way of thinking: a spiritual compass point for a place shaped by water, wind, and seasons.
What makes this church memorable isn’t age or ornament. It’s the concept and the silhouette. Sources describe the building as resembling a ship—and in a seaside town, that image lands immediately. A ship suggests return, direction, safety, distance. The church places that symbol right in the everyday landscape of Šventoji, like a calm statement: even here, there is a course to follow.
The timeline is clean and surprisingly satisfying. Construction of the new brick church began in 1991, designed by architects G. Aperavičius and R. Krištapavičius. It was then consecrated in 2003 by Bishop J. Boruta, turning a long building process into a lived-in space for the community.
But Šventoji rarely starts “from scratch.” The parish history stretches further back: sources note that the Catholic parish was founded in 1939, and even earlier, in 1929, a wooden chapel/church was built on the bank of the Šventoji River by Prelate Dr. Jurgis Galdikas. So the modern church is not a random contemporary project—it’s the next, larger chapter in a longer local story.
And because this is a resort town, the church naturally lives in two rhythms: the steady one of residents, and the summer pulse of visitors. Official tourism information highlights that it serves both permanent locals and vacationers, with parish life that includes youth groups, family centres, and other Catholic organisations. It feels active—quietly, but consistently.
One more modern detail adds a nice twist: in 2022, a viewing platform opened in the church tower for the public. I love what that implies. A church is usually a place where you look inward. Here, it also becomes a place where you can look outward—over Šventoji, toward the Baltic horizon, toward the sea that gave the church its name in the first place.