The modern Šumperk church is on the list of monuments

Šumperk - The Church of St. John the Evangelist in Šumperk has become a cultural monument. According to heritage experts, the building has high architectural value and documents the presence of the Old Catholic Church, which has been based in Šumperk since the end of the 19th century. This was reported by Tomáš Tichák, a collaborator at the Olomouc National Heritage Institute.
    "A unique modern sacred building with elements of Art Nouveau from the years 1912 to 1914 is the work of architect Clemens Kattner. At the same time, the parsonage building and the historic fencing with a gazebo and two gates were also added to the list of monuments," Tichák stated.
    The church continues to serve the Old Catholic Church, which has about 50 members in the city. The public uses it as a mourning ceremony hall. "We expect that the declaration of the church as a cultural monument will help us access grants for its reconstruction. We have already done several things ourselves, we repaired the roof of the church and the parsonage. However, we now need to repair the tower roof, which is one hundred years old," said Pastor Pavel Cepek.
    Heritage protection will also help preserve the church for future generations. "In the past, there were attempts to demolish the church and build a panel building in its place," the pastor added. The church was built after the Old Catholics lost the ability to hold services in the Church of St. Barbara, which is owned by the city, at the beginning of the 20th century.
    The Ministry of Culture has declared additional objects in the Šumperk region as cultural monuments. These include the wayside shrine in the garden of a house in Rapotín, dating from 1678, which is related to the witch trials that took place in the Šumperk area. Newly, the sculpture of the Holy Trinity along the road from Písařov to Březná is also under heritage protection. This approximately four-meter late Baroque work from the end of the 18th century is considered by heritage experts to be a quality piece of stonemasonry.