Gates of Dawn

So, even though I'm back, I'll start posting pictures and continue the adventures :)))

The Gates of Dawn, known in Lithuanian as Austro Vartu, is the only city gate from the original wall that still exists around Vilnius, the capital city of Lithuania. This Gate has been graced by the presence of an miraculous image of Our Lady.

The Holy Father was invited to visit here in 1986, but the Soviets refused to allow him. So, he sent his hat instead. When he visited in 1993, he left another hat. These are kept in the sacristy.

On my last day in Lithuania, I went there at 6am because I wanted to be among the first there to visit Our Lady. As I waited for the door to open, a delivery boy on a bicycle rode through the gate, stopped his bike, turned around and prayed for about 10 minutes before continuing on his paper route.

People going to work would walk through the gate, turn and bless themselves to show honor to Our Lady.

When the door to the chapel finally opened, there were about three elderly ladies who entered with me, but they walked up the stairs on their knees.