In the churchyard of the Church of St. Ignatius Loyola the monument to Pope John Paul II was built. This impressive piece of art made by the sculptor from Vilnius Mindaugas Junčys was presented to the church by Žukliai family from Šiauliai.
The sculpture of Pope John Paul II blessing believers was made from granite and bronze. The base and the almost 3 meters high sculpture weighs over 6 tons. The sculpture was built in the courtyard of the church, where during the visit to Lithuania on September 7, 1993, Pope John Paul II prayed and rested.
This is how Žukliai family who donated the sculpture for Pope John Paul II immortalized the will of the departed Alfonsas Žuklys. Being alive, he would repeatedly mention for the family the wish to perpetuate the Holy Father’s visit to Lithuania. The congregation who observed the unveiling ceremony of the monument noticed a red stain on the lower part of the sculpture.
All of it seemed very symbolic because priests of the Church of St. Ignatius Loyola recalled that when Pope John Paul II had been visiting the church, his garment had been smudged with wet red floor paint.
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