Pope John Paul II - Vilnius, Lithuania
N 54° 40.466 E 025° 17.374
35U E 389707 N 6059906
This memorial plaque for Pope John Paul II is located at the Gate of Dawn in Vilnius, Lithuania.
Waymark Code: WMPGKK
Location: Lithuania
Date Posted: 08/28/2015
Views: 5
The memorial plaque includes a relief silhouette of Pope John Paul II. Beneath the silhouette is the following text:
Šventasis Tevas
Jonas Paulius II
Aušros Vartu
Šventoveje
Meldesi 1993-IX-4
[ENGLISH TRANSLATION]
The Holy Father
Pope John Paul II
Gate of Dawn
Chapel
Prayed Here September 4, 1993
The following additional information is from Wikipedia:
"The Gate of Dawn (Lithuanian: Aušros Vartai, Polish: Ostra Brama) is a city gate of Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, and one of the most important religious, historical and cultural monuments.
History
It was built between 1503 and 1522 as a part of defensive fortifications for the city of Vilnius, the capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. It has also been known as the Medininkai Gate, as it led to the village Medininkai south of Vilnius as well as Aštra broma, which derivative for the Lithuanian language word aštra meaning sharp. Of the nine city gates, only the Gate of Dawn remains, while the others were destroyed by the order of the government at the end of the 18th century.
On September 4, 1993 Pope John Paul II said Rosary at the Gate of Dawn Chapel. Church festival of the Blessed Virgin Mary Mother of Mercy—celebrated in the third week of November—is of great importance in the Vilnius Archdiocese."