In the monastery near St. Raphael the Archangel Church lived those Jesuits, who were preparing to take their final vows. The monastery and the Church ensemble is built in the Vilnius suburb of Snipiskes. Nearby was a small hill known for its miraculous wayside shrine, containing a statue of Christ Carrying the Cross, which was erected around 1710 during the outbreak of plague in Vilnius.

St. Raphael Church was consecrated in 1730. After the suppression of the Society of Jesus in 1773, the Church and the monastery were given to the Order of Piarists, whose goal was the Christian education of youth in schools. In 1791 the Church was transferred to Pilaites parish. Army barracks were set up in the monastery, and the Church was turned into a warehouse. The Church was returned to Catholics in 1860. The monastery was reconstructed in 1974 with its original appearance partially restored. The Department of Cultural Heritage of Lithuania is currently located in the monastery.

The Church was constructed in Baroque-style as a rectangular tripartite basilica. Its interior contains nine remaining altars. Some more notable 17th-century paintings, reminiscent of Jesuit times, can be seen in this Church: “St. Ignatius Loyola”, “St. Francis Xavier” and the image of Joseph Calasanz, the founder of the Piarists. The main altar painting depicts St. Raphael the Archangel, escorting young Tobias home from a difficult journey.

On August 14th, 1904, the President of the Republic of Lithuania Antanas Smetona and Sofia Chodakauskaite – Smetoniene were married at St. Raphael’s.