- The Gate of Dawn chapel is famed for its miraculous painting of Mary the Mother of Mercy.
- Both Western and Eastern Christians have devotion to the image of the Mother of Mercy, who is considered to protect Vilnius.
- The Gate of Dawn is part of the European Network of Marian Shrines.
- St Teresa’s Church stands out for pictorial wall art portraying the life of St Teresa of Avila, a Doctor of the Church.
- Pope John Paul II prayed at the Gate of Dawn on September 4, 1993.
The Gate of Dawn chapel, with its venerable painting of Mary the Mother of Mercy, is one of Lithuania’s most important religious, historical and cultural sites. This is the foremost Marian shrine in the Vilnius archdiocese and a destination for pilgrims from many countries, not only Catholic but also Orthodox. Devotion to the Mother of God is especially strong and vibrant here, as shown by the crowds that gather each November for the Indulgenced Feast of the Mother of Mercy, and by the ever growing number of votive offerings, tokens of pilgrims’ sincere gratitude for graces received.
The Gate of Dawn is surrounded by the Church of St Teresa, the Eastern-rite Catholic Monastery of the Holy Trinity and the Orthodox Monastery of the Holy Spirit. Today the Dawn Gate chapel is closely linked with the Church of St Teresa of Avila, which the Discalced Carmelites built in 1654 alongside their large monastery and courtyards. Pictorial art on the walls of the church is a uniquely impressive specimen of the Discalced Carmelites’ artistic heritage in Lithuania.
