In the Brno district of Lesná, there is no church, believers are raising money

Brno - In the Brno district of Lesná, which consists mainly of panel housing estates, hundreds of Roman Catholic faithful are missing a church. Five years ago, a separate parish was established in Lesná, which is located in a newly built spiritual center. However, its capacity is no longer sufficient for the faithful. They would like to renovate and expand the building so that it can serve as a full-fledged church. The project currently lacks funding, said priest Pavel Hověz today to ČTK.
    The parish has already commissioned the preparation of the first study for the extension of the spiritual center, named after the Blessed nun Marie Restituta and monk Martin Středa. More proposals are likely to emerge. According to the first study, the construction will require about 37 million crowns.
    The parish is gradually receiving money from small donors. "If we manage to raise the necessary amount, construction could begin in two or three years," Hověz stated. According to the priest, the construction can be divided into stages.
    The Lesná housing estate was created in the 1960s. Unlike other panel housing estates, Lesná is surrounded by greenery, and its urban concept is praised even by contemporary architects. As early as 1968, local believers began calling for the construction of a church. However, normalization did not favor new sacred buildings.
    The stark new building of the spiritual center has been used by people in Lesná since 2004. In addition to the priest, there is also a pastoral assistant and a deacon. Besides regular masses, other spiritual, cultural, and social events are also held at the center. Hověz estimates that about 800 faithful participate in masses in Lesná. Approximately the same number may commute to other places in Brno. In addition to the fifth anniversary of the establishment of the independent parish, the faithful in Lesná are also commemorating the 20th anniversary of the start of regular masses this year.
    This year, the parish in Lesná will participate for the first time in the Night of Churches, an event during which churches and prayer houses in Brno and other places in the Czech Republic open their doors to visitors. At the spiritual center, for example, on May 28th, people will find out how the architect envisions the renovation of the building. The program will also include the screening of a documentary film about Martin Středa and an exhibition about Marie Restituta.