In Barrandov, a new church will begin construction in 2014

Prague - A new Church of Christ the Savior and community center will be built in Prague's Barrandov. The church will accommodate approximately 220 seated people. Construction is expected to begin in 2014 and be completed about three years later. The spokesperson for the Archdiocese of Prague, Aleš Pištora, announced this today.
    The church and community center will be constructed according to the design by architects Jakub Žiška and Pavel Šmelhaus. The building will be two stories high and will feature a tower with a bell. "The new church will expand the availability of services for the residents of the Barrandov housing estate, who currently participate mainly in services at the Church of St. Philip and James in Zlíchov," Pištora stated, adding that there are approximately 30,000 people living in the parish of Prague-Hlubočepy and the Zlíchov church, with a capacity of around 80 people, is insufficient.
    In the future, the community center should serve not only the believers but all residents of the housing estate. It will have a multifunctional hall for about 80 people. "Lectures, celebrations, balls, concerts, and other cultural events will take place here," the spokesperson mentioned.
    Three meeting rooms are also planned for religious education, mom-and-child gatherings, youth or senior meetings, music rehearsals, and charity or scouting events. There will also be a café and a tea room.
    "By dedicating the church to Christ the Savior, the Barrandov parish wants to build on the legacy of St. Agnes, who, with the help of her brother Václav I, established the first convent of the Poor Clares in Bohemia," Pištora noted. At the age of 23, she entered the convent herself in the year 1234 and was later appointed its abbess.
    On Sunday, June 16, 2013, starting at 3:00 PM, an extraordinary ecumenical service will take place outdoors on the site of the former Mission Center on Grussova Street, where the church is set to be built in the coming years. A model of the winning design for the new church will also be on display.