Neratovice will finally have their own church

Neratovice is one of the few domestic towns that still does not have a church. This is soon to change. The Roman Catholic parish of Neratovice is expected to receive a land decision for the construction of a new church within a few weeks, which will rise at the boundary of the cadasters of the town of Neratovice and the municipality of Libiš. "The parish in Neratovice deserves its own church. Approximately 3000 people identify with the church within the parish area. More than two hundred people regularly attend Sunday services in the nearby villages' churches, and they often have to stand outside," says priest Peter Kováč, who has been advocating for the construction of the church for several years.

The priest expects that the church could obtain a construction permit within the next year and that a new spiritual and community center, which will also be an architectural gem, could stand within two to three years. The investment costs for the construction of the church are estimated at 80 to 90 million crowns. One third will be covered by the Archdiocese of Prague. The same amount will be contributed by the Neratovice parish from the sale of its properties, and donors will be expected to cover the remainder. The parish has already launched a fundraising campaign for the construction of the new church.
The design of the church has been entrusted to prominent Czech architect Zdeněk Fránek, who is known for his award-winning modern churches in Litomyšl and Černošice. The architecturally unique building is significantly missing from the town with a predominantly socialist style of construction, and priest Peter Kováč believes that thanks to Fránek, an exceptional sacred icon will rise in Neratovice.

A sanctuary with a green roof

The church will be formed by two concentric vaults, representing a return to the roots of church buildings. A double-shell system can be seen, for example, in the Church of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence or in St. Paul's Cathedral in London by Christopher Wren. The architect has incorporated facilities such as classrooms, club rooms, restrooms, and the like into the space between the vaults of the Neratovice church. "The interspace between the two shells symbolizes the transitional part of life, while the inner space under the vault with upper lighting represents a quiet sacred space separated from the outside world," explains Zdeněk Fránek. He placed a community room beneath the entire structure.
The hollow reinforced concrete tower of the church is accessible via a ramp from above and houses the bells. The symbolism of the building is the Trinity of God, with the tower referencing the Marian motif – it is curved like medieval Madonna statues. According to priest Kováč, the structure may resemble a ship – an ark, but it also represents God's presence in the world, to which the tower on the eastern side adheres, evoking a person approaching and touching. "The building primarily expresses the community of the church present at this specific location, but the shape of the ark also aims to reference the dynamics and movement through history," added the priest. A barrier-free path between the two shells, which winds around the main room of the liturgical space, rises in the same way that human life spirals upwards, symbolizing the connection between earth and heaven.
The building, with a 22-meter tall bell tower, will rise on the church's own land opposite the chapel of St. Wenceslas. The church will also serve as a community center, where not only parishioners will gather; it will also house a low-threshold center, but it can also be used as a concert, exhibition, or lecture space. "For meetings with parishioners and working with children, we currently use several borrowed spaces, but as new members join the parish, we are increasingly in need of our own facilities. The community lives through many activities; it just needs its own roof over its head," adds priest Kováč. The church will be surrounded by a large park with a pond and a children's playground, designed in collaboration with students from the Mělník Secondary School of Horticulture. The church building will also adhere to current ecological trends in sustainable construction, which Zdeněk Fránek advocates. A green roof, which should be irrigated from a retention tank capturing rainwater from the roof, has been installed on both the church and the rectory.

The parish will break the communist legacy

The plans to build a church in Neratovice are not new. The idea of having its own sacred building has existed for several decades. Neratovice is a relatively "young" town, whose development was spurred by the chemical industry and whose history is primarily associated with the Spolana factory. It gained city status in the 1950s, and it is said that the communist leaders of that time relished the idea that Neratovice would be the first town without a church. With the relaxation of political conditions at the end of the 1960s, it seemed that the church would finally be realized, but normalization cut short those efforts. After the revolution, the foundations of the new church were even dug and poured, but with the death of Father Kubý, who was the organizer of the entire construction, they began to be overgrown with weeds. Neratovice will thus only see a new church in this century.
The Roman Catholic parish of Neratovice is part of the Archdiocese of Prague. In addition to Neratovice, it also includes Dřínov, Hostín u Vojkovic, Chlumín, Kojetice, Libiš, Obříství, Předboj, Újezdec, Úžice-Netřeba, Vojkovice, Zálezlice, and Zlonín.