- Place
- Jonava, Jonava District Municipality
- Region
- Aukštaitija
- Type
- active Roman Catholic parish chapel
- Address
- Chemikų g. 136, Jonava, 55222 Jonava District
- Coordinates
- 55.07604, 24.26244
- Visit duration
- 20-40 minutes; longer if you attend a service
- Best time
- according to the parish service schedule; the chapel may be closed between services
Jonava St. John Parish Chapel, Rimkai Chapel
The Rimkai chapel, not Jonava's main church
Jonava St. John the Apostle Church Chapel is at Chemikų g. 136 in the Rimkai neighbourhood. Its canonical name matters because maps and parish accounts also call it the Jonava St. John the Apostle Parish Chapel. This is not the main St. James the Apostle Church at Vilniaus g. 13, but a separate, smaller parish building.
This is a working parish chapel, so opening and service times follow the community's schedule. Check current information before travelling.
Why the chapel was built in Rimkai
The chapel serves residents of Rimkai and the surrounding St. John parish. Its creation is linked to parish decisions in 2008 and to the local community's need for a closer place of worship. Older residents in particular needed a closer place of worship than Jonava's main church.
That purpose explains the modest scale: this is a chapel for everyday parish life, not a representative city cathedral. Its value to a visitor lies first in its living religious function and its connection with the neighbourhood community.
Consecration in 2012 and shared use
The chapel was consecrated on 7 October 2012. The date marks more than a building opening: it established a lasting Catholic place of worship. The parish account presents the chapel as a response to residents' needs, so its history is pastoral as well as architectural.
The same building periodically hosts Lutheran services. This is not a second building or a separate chapel: shared use shows how one local worship space can serve different Christian communities under an agreed schedule.
What the chapel looks like
From outside, the chapel is a restrained low building with pale plaster, a dark low roof, tall narrow windows, and prominent red-brick steps at the entrance. Its setting is residential, with trees, lawn, and apartment buildings nearby, so it is best understood as part of Rimkai's neighbourhood architecture.
This appearance differs from the towers and historic facades of older churches in Jonava District. Do not assign the chapel a tower, dome, or Neo-Gothic masonry features it does not have. The interior arrangement and access can change with liturgy and community activities.
Services and visiting at Chemikų g. 136
The Kaunas Archdiocese lists Sunday services at 8:00 and 9:30, Saturday at 9:00, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday at 9:00, and Wednesday at 18:00. The chapel is usually opened about 1 hour before Mass and also houses the parish office; times can change.
The schedule can change, especially on holidays, so check archdiocese or parish information before leaving. For an exterior stop allow 20-40 minutes, avoid disturbing the community, and ask before taking interior photographs.
