- Blessed Jurgis Matulaitis (1871–1927) is buried in the Basilica.
- A Chapel of Blessed Jurgis Matulaitis has also been built in the village of Lūginė.
Marijampolė is located at the centre of the region of Sūduva on the banks of the Šešupė River. In the mid 18th century, the Marian Fathers built a monastery whose name – Marijampolė – thereafter was also applied to the village established in the place some 200 years earlier. It is the only Lithuanian city to bear the name of a monastery and to have a name directly referring to the Blessed Virgin Mary. The body of the holy archbishop Jurgis Matulaitis (1871-1927) is enshrined in Marijampolė at the Basilica of St Michael the Archangel. Jurgis Matulaitis, who was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1987, is so far the only Lithuanian of modern times who has been declared “blessed”. The figure of Matulaitis attracts pilgrims from both Lithuania and abroad. Many gather in Marijampolė each July for the indulgenced feast of Blessed Jurgis Matulaitis. A chapel dedicated to Blessed Jurgis Matulaitis has been built in his native village of Lūginė, not far from Marijampolė. Holy Mass is celebrated there every Friday. Lūginė is also a destination for pilgrimages and the site of events offering spiritual formation for young people.
