In Sázava, people are building a chapel in the shape of an ark

Sázava - In Sázava, in the Žďár region, people have been building a Catholic chapel in the shape of a biblical ark with a 15-meter tall metal cross since last year. Volunteers gather for construction almost every Saturday. If they manage to complete the work by next summer, locals will be able to celebrate the first pilgrimage there. The chapel will be dedicated to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, whose feast day falls on July 16. František Ledvinka from the association Karmel Sázava, which is organizing the construction, stated this for ČTK.

“We had been considering the construction of the chapel for a long time,” said Ledvinka, who is the mayor of Sázava. The idea that the municipality could be an investor did not succeed, so the association created for this purpose took on the construction of the chapel. “Currently, we basically have a rough structure,” stated Ledvinka.

There has been a small church in Sázava since 1785 serving the Czech Brethren Evangelical Church, while Catholics have a small chapel there, but due to its size, they cannot gather. Therefore, they travel for mass to churches in Velká Losenice, Nížkov, or Žďár nad Sázavou. Dozens of believers also gather in Sázava, either in front of the chapel or in temporary spaces.

The new chapel stands on an elevated plot of land in the outskirts of the village with 650 inhabitants. The building, whose structure is made of a wooden frame, is ten meters high at its tallest point. “It is designed for 60 people, but we have already tested that it can comfortably accommodate a hundred,” said Ledvinka. A larger gathering space will be available with the outdoor area that includes a covered sanctuary. There will also be a parking lot and social facilities.

People and municipalities are contributing to the chapel through a transparent account, and according to Ledvinka, a number of companies have selflessly helped with the construction. So far, approximately 1.9 million crowns have been spent. “But I think the value of the construction has already doubled,” he pointed out, noting that the number of hours worked by volunteers has exceeded 2000.

During the 2011 census, over 29 percent of the population in the Vysočina region identified with a faith, making it the second highest share in the Czech Republic after the Zlín region. Since the 90s, a number of chapels have been built in Vysočina, for instance in Věžnice, Brzkov, and Dolní Jablonné. A new pilgrimage site with a chapel has been established in Slavkovice.

Another chapel is under construction in Nová Ves near Nové Město na Moravě. “We have arranged for the consecration next summer, once the landscaping is completed,” said mayor Helena Tučková. The original chapel of St. Anne was created by converting a fire station in the 60s, but due to its poor condition, locals recently demolished it.