Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Catholics Get Church in Smolensk

Catholic church in Smolensk to be handed to Catholics

Smolensk, October 20, Interfax - Smolensk officials are ready to discuss with Poland a plan for the restoration of the local Catholic church after the archives are removed from it.

"After we are through with the construction of a new building for the state archives next year we will be ready to discuss with Poland a plan to restore or repair the Catholic church," Smolensk Governor Sergey Antufyev said.

Poland has said on many occasions that it wants to take part in the restoration of the Catholic cathedral at any moment, he said.

The future of the Catholic cathedral was discussed among other issues during the Smolensk governor's talks with managers of the regional fund for supporting entrepreneurship and of small companies that want to join the preparations for the 1150th anniversary of Smolensk.

The neo-Gothic Catholic cathedral was built in 1894-97 on parishioners and clergy's donations, under a project by the local architect Maisher. Services had been conducted in this church until the 1930s, when the regional archives department was accommodated in it.

Link to Interfax...

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