During his visit to Lithuania on September 4, 1993, Pope John Paul II recited the Rosary at the Gate of Dawn together with pilgrims from across Lithuania and abroad. Before the prayer, the Pope spoke:
“For many centuries, this Shrine of the Gate of Dawn has daily witnessed many pilgrims bringing their joys and life’s burdens to the Mother of Mercy. These Gates have thus become a place of encounter with the Mother of Christ and the Church, a site of unity for the faithful of the entire region. Christians from Lithuania, Poland, Belarus, Ukraine, and other countries gather here to share the same faith, one hope, and true love as brothers and sisters in the presence of the Virgin Mary.
In the Vatican, there is a Lithuanian Chapel adorned with the same Icon as here. From there, the Successor of Peter often joins in spirit with the prayer that rises to God from this place. Today, at the beginning of my apostolic journey to the Baltic countries, I rejoice to be here not only in spirit but in body. As the shepherd of the universal Church, accompanied by your prayers, I come to place my thanksgiving and petitions into the maternal hands of Mary.”