Girdiškės Church of the Most Holy Virgin Mary of the Snow

The Church of the Most Holy Virgin Mary of the Snow in Girdiškės is a Neo-Gothic masterpiece that began construction in 1896. The primary advocate for the church's construction was Father Juozapas Čerkeliauskas (1857-1926), who served as the parish priest from 1894.

This church is unique in Lithuania for several reasons. Firstly, it bears a name that is unique to it in the country; it shares its title with one of the three oldest Christian churches in the world, the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome. Secondly, inside the church are two oak altars installed 90 years ago, which are the only ones of their kind in Lithuania. Thirdly, during the August Snow Festival, white paper snowflakes fall inside the church, a tradition that echoes the legend of the snowfall and the construction of the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome.