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Friday, 29.03.2024, 03:10
Lithuanian government hopes papal visit will encourage religious tourism
Photo: vaticannews.va |
The papal
visit will be a great opportunity to promote Lithuania worldwide, says Egle Kudzmaniene, head of the Brand
Lithuania Unit of the Lithuanian government's Communication Department.
"We’ve
been given an opportunity to show the country's achievements and innovativeness
through the religious prism as religious services are broadcast on social media
in Lithuania," she told.
The Brand
Lithuania Unit has prepared information and souvenir packages for journalists
coming to Lithuania and they will be taken on an excursion around Vilnius on
Friday.
Majority of pilgrims from neighboring countries
Lithuania
usually receives the majority of pilgrims from Poland. Representatives of the
Tourism Department say the country would be able to attract more pilgrims from
such countries like Spain or Italy, who spend more money on their trips, if proper
religious infrastructure was developed and, for example, opportunities to spend
nights at monasteries were provided.
The
majority of foreigners will come to Lithuania to see the pope from Latvia,
Russia and Belarus. Slightly smaller groups are expected from Germany, Italy,
Poland, Ukraine, Sweden, Iceland and the United States.
Go Vilnius, the agency responsible for tourism and
investment in the Lithuania capital, says around 30,000 pilgrims come to
Vilnius every year.
The agency
has produced a pilgrimage guide for Vilnius, which will later be distributed
during international exhibitions. The guide has been translated into English,
German, Polish, Italian, Russian, Go
Vilnius chief Inga Romanovskiene
says, and it includes key religious areas in Vilnius.
„This guide
is a step in that direction and we plan to continue working in this area,"
she told.
No hotel influx
Hotel
occupancy rates in Vilnius during the papal visit range from 60 to 90% and are
barely different from the same period last year.
Agne Grigaityte, head of the youth center at Kaunas
Archdiocese, says 12 schools in Kaunas, Lithuania's second-largest city, will
provide free accommodation for incoming guests. In her words, 1,350 pilgrims
from Ukraine, Belarus, Russia, Latvia and Poland have already registered.
Figures
from the Lithuanian Bishops' Conference show that 90,000 invitations to meet
with the pope have been distributed in Kaunas and 30,000 in Vilnius.
The pope's
visit will take place on Saturday and Sunday.
Souvenirs and books
Tadas Bruzgulis, a volunteer for the papal visit, told around
100,000 yellow-white souvenirs will remind of Pope Francis' visit to Lithuania.
They will include jumpers, T-shirts, raincoats, umbrellas, pencils, coins,
magnets and bracelets.
Souvenirs
were produced in Lithuania, China and Poland, and part of revenue from their
sale will be used to cover the papal visit's costs.
Vilma Druliene, the Maxima
retail chain's head of commerce, told papal souvenirs have been sold for over
several weeks now and their demand grew around 20-30% during the last week.
Some people
rushed to bookstores ahead of the visit to buy the pope's books.
"There's
been an increase and we've seen the sale of the pope's books rise two or
threefold," Zita Baruseviciene,
head of sales at the Vaga bookstore
chain, told.
Programme
of Pope's visit to Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia
Saturday 22 September 2018 ROMA-VILNIUS |
|
07:30 |
Departure
by air from Rome- Fiumicino airport for Vilnius |
11:30 |
Arrival
at Vilnius International Airport |
|
WELCOME CEREMONY |
|
COURTESY
VISIT TO THE PRESIDENT in the Presidential Palace |
|
MEETING
with the AUTHORITIES, with CIVIL SOCIETY |
16:30 |
VISIT
TO THE MATER MISERICORDIAE SHRINE |
|
MEETING
with YOUNG PEOPLE in the square in front of the Cathedral |
|
Visit to the Cathedral |
Sunday
23 September 2018 VILNIUS-KAUNAS-VILNIUS |
|
08:15 |
Transfer
by car to Kaunas |
|
HOLY
MASS in
Santakos Park in Kaunas |
|
ANGELUS in Santakos Park in Kaunas |
|
Lunch
with the bishops in the Palace of the Curia |
|
MEETING
with PRIESTS, MEN AND WOMEN RELIGIOUS, CONSECRATED PERSONS and SEMINARIANS |
|
Transfer
to the Museum of Occupations and Freedom Fights in Vilnius |
|
VISIT
AND PRAYER IN THE MUSEUM OF OCCUPATIONS AND FREEDOM FIGHTS |
Monday
24 September 2018 VILNIUS-RIGA-VILNIUS |
|
07:20 |
Departure
by air from Vilnius International Airport for Riga |
08:20 |
Arrival
at Riga International Airport |
|
OFFICIAL WELCOME |
|
WELCOME
CEREMONY in
the Courtyard of the Presidential Palace |
|
COURTESY
VISIT TO THE PRESIDENT in the Presidential Palace |
|
MEETING
with the CIVIL AUTHORITIES, CIVIL SOCIETY and the DIPLOMATIC CORPS in the Reception Hall of the
Presidential Palace |
|
LAYING
OF FLOWERS AND CEREMONY at the Monument to Freedom |
|
ECUMENICAL
MEETING in
the Rigas Doms |
|
VISIT
TO THE CATHOLIC SAINT JAMES’ CATHEDRAL |
|
Lunch
with the bishops in the Archdiocesan House of the Holy Family |
|
Transfer
by helicopter from Riga Harbour helipad to the Shrine of the Mother of God,
Aglona |
|
HOLY
MASS in the area
of the Shrine of the Mother of God, Aglona |
|
FAREWELL
CEREMONY in
the Aglona heliport |
|
Transfer
by helicopter to Vilnius International Airport |
|
|
Tuesday
25 September 2018 VILNIUS-TALLINN-ROMA |
|
|
FAREWELL
CEREMONY in
Vilnius International Airport |
08:30 |
Departure
by air from Vilnius International Airport for Tallinn |
09:50 |
Arrival
at Tallinn International Airport |
|
OFFICIAL WELCOME |
|
WELCOME
CEREMONY in
the square in front of the Presidential Palace |
|
COURTESY
VISIT TO THE PRESIDENT in the Presidential Palace |
|
MEETING
with the CIVIL AUTHORITIES, CIVIL SOCIETY and the DIPLOMATIC CORPS in the Rose Garden of the
Presidential Palace |
|
ECUMENICAL
MEETING with YOUNG PEOPLE in the Lutheran Saint Charles’ Church |
|
Lunch
with the papal entourage in the Convent of the Brigidine Sisters in Pirita |
|
MEETING
with those assisted by the CHARITABLE WORKS OF THE CHURCH in the Cathedral of Saints Peter
and Paul |
|
HOLY
MASS in
Freedom Square |
|
FAREWELL
CEREMONY in
Tallin International Airport |
18:45 |
Departure
by air from Tallinn International Airport for Rome |
21:20 |
Arrival
at Rome - Ciampino International Airport |