Gargždų bažnyčios ir parapijos istorinė raida: nuo pirmosios bažnyčios 1540 m. iki XVIII a. pab

LTStraipsnyje aptariama Gargždų parapijos raida XVI a. vid. - XVIII a. vid. Autorius pritaria nuomonei, kad istoriniuose šaltiniuose Gargždų bažnyčia pirmą kartą paminėta 1540 m. sausio 9 d., o 1609 m. fundacija suteikė galimybių tapti parapine, plėsti infrastruktūrą – XVI a. pab. buvo numatyta įsteigti parapinę mokyklą, XVII a. pab. – špitolę. Straipsnyje aptariamos ir prie Gargždų bažnyčios veikusios religinės draugijos.

ENArticle discusses the historical development of the parish in the town of Gargždai from the middle of the 16th century to the middle of the 18th century. According to historical sources, the first church in Gargždai was founded on 9 January 1540. For a long time Gargždai belonged to the parish of Palanga, and only the foundation granted in 1609 made it possible to establish a separate parish – in 1613 the priest of the Gargždai parish was mentioned for the first time. Thanks to the financial support of the church founders, administrators of the Gargždai Estate and parishioners, the church could perform not only pastoral, but also public and social functions. It is known that at the end of the 17th century an almshouse was established in Gargždai, also the town had a school in operation (the intention to set up a school was stated already in the foundation documents of 10 January 1590). From the end of the 17th century to the beginning of the 18th century the parish priest headed the society of the Holy Rosary.In 1648, a new church was built in the town and it served its parish until it was devastated by fire in 1786. The construction of the church was funded by considerable contributions from the Elder of Gargždai and the parishioners. The church's visitation papers from the 17th-18th centuries provide a fairly clear picture of the churchyard, the church interior and how they were changing in the course of time. The church had several altars, its walls were decorated with variously themed paintings and sculptures. In the 17th-18th centuries the church in Gargždai, along with the Gargždai Estate, was an important economic, social and public centre of the town.