The renovation of the co-cathedral in Opava will be completed in November

Opava - A comprehensive renovation of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary Concathdral in Opava will be completed in November. It will cost nearly 76 million crowns. The first mass will take place there once the epidemic allows it. Miroslav Přikryl, project manager of the Ostrava-Opava diocese, said this today to ČTK. The work on the national cultural monument, whose history dates back to 1204, began last March. The building has been closed throughout this period.

"A lot of work is currently being done on the surroundings of the building. The landscaping and drainage walkways are being finished. Repaired fences are returning from the restoration workshop, which will be reinstalled," said Přikryl. He added that work is also nearing completion inside the concathdral. "The painting and electrical installation are being completed," he stated.

The reconstruction of the church for 75.6 million crowns is the largest investment in the restoration of sacred buildings in the Ostrava-Opava diocese. In addition to the European Union grant of 71.8 million crowns, the reconstruction is also financially supported by the statutory city of Opava, the Roman Catholic Parish of the Virgin Mary Opava, and the Moravian-Silesian Region.

The entire outer shell of the concathdral has undergone a complete restoration, including the repointing of brick masonry, repairs to plaster, replacement of windows, and restoration of stone and locksmith components of the outer shell. The surrounding area of the church has also been modified. The work has affected the interior as well. The electrical installation has been replaced, the church will have new interior lighting, and the stone and locksmith elements have also been restored. The project also includes the creation of an exhibition from the northern vestibule, which will be accessible for tours.

Since 1996, the church has been the second residential church of the Ostrava-Opava bishop. It is referred to as a concathdral because, according to ecclesiastical interpretation, it holds the same importance and privileges as a cathedral but has a lower priority. The cathedral is the main church of the diocese, while the concathdral complements it.