Dėl Telšių parapijos teritorijos formavimosi XVI amžiuje

LTReikšminiai žodžiai: Istoriografija; Krikščionybė; Parapija; Telšiai; Telšių parapija, Žemaičių vyskupystė, katalikų bažnyčia, XVI a; 16 amžius; Žemaitija (Samogitia); 16th century; Christianity; Historiography; Parish; Samogitia; Telšiai; Telšiai parish, Samogitian diocese, Catholic church, XVI c.

ENIn the historiography dealing with the development of Christianity in the period of the 15th to the 16th century, the north-western part of Samogitia is generally presented as the most complicated region. Therefore, the significance of monk missions in the late 16th and early 17th centuries in it has been frequently emphasised. However, the boundaries of the areas served by the churches established in Alsėdžiai (the late 15th century) and in Plateliai, Seda, and Telšiai (the early 16th century) have not - been established so far. In the present paper, on the basis of the conducted historical research, the Telšiai Church foundation documents, a register of baptisms (1673- 1695), and cartographic materials, attempts are made to identify the boundaries of the Telšiai Parish area in the 16th century and to find out the possible reasons of their change and the impact on the activities of the surrounding churches As proved by the outcomes of the research, the structures of the Samogitian Diocese were able to intensify the pastoral work in the north-western part of Samogitia only after the areas that were somewhat later named Grūstė and, more seldom, Gintališkė rural administrative districts became part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in the 40s of the 16th century.Before resolving the issue of the area's belonging either to Livonia or the GDL, churches were established in Plateliai (~1523) and Seda (~1528), and it was from them that pastoral activities were carried out in the above mentioned area. More or less similar time of the establishment of the churches may indicate a process of densification of the church network in north-western Samogitia that could have involved both private (Seda) and state (Plateliai), as well as clerical (Alsėdžiai, where a church was established ca. 1464-1475), structures. That would be witnessed by the chronologically close dates of the establishment of Seda, Plateliai, and Telšiai Churches and by the fact that the foundation of Telšiai Church, as indicated by its text, was initiated by the Bishop of Samogitia Vaclovas Virbickis. The area of service of the newly founded Telšiai Church must have also covered the eastern part of Viešvėnai rural administrative district up to Lieplaukė surroundings. The establishment of the boundaries of the pastoral work area affected the activities of Luokė Church that was to have served the eastern part of Viešvėnai rural administrative district (later included in the area of Telšiai Parish) in the last decade of the 15th century. It has not been established so far whether the formation of a new parish affected the activities of Alsėdžiai and Seda Churches. The area of Telšiai Parish was slightly reduced in the early 17th century (ca. 1612) due to the establishment of Tirkšliai Church in the northern part of Telšiai Eldership. [From the publication]