In Sázava near Žďár, people built a chapel in the shape of an ark

Sázava - The municipality of Sázava in Žďár has gained a new Catholic chapel thanks to donations and the work of volunteers. It takes the form of a biblical ark, with a 15-meter high metal cross as its centerpiece. The chapel will be dedicated to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, with the consecration to be carried out on September 16 by the Bishop of Hradec Králové, Jan Vokál. Final work related to the interior furnishings is underway, František Ledvinka from the Karmel Sázava association, which is organizing the construction, told ČTK today.

"We established the association in 2015 and in the spring of 2016, the foundation slab began to be built," stated Ledvinka, who is also the mayor of Sázava. The new chapel stands on an elevated plot in the edge of the municipality with 660 inhabitants. The building, whose structure is made of wood, measures ten meters at its highest point. It can accommodate approximately one hundred people. The surrounding area has been prepared with a covered altar, a parking lot, and social facilities; there are over 300 meters of paved outdoor areas.

The total amount of money spent exceeded three million crowns, but according to Ledvinka, the value of the work is significantly higher. Volunteers selflessly put in over 5,000 hours of work, and the association also received a lot of wood. The financial donations and payments received can be tracked on a transparent account accessible on the association's website.

A small church has been in Sázava since 1785, serving the Czech Brethren Evangelical Church. Catholics fall under the Roman Catholic parish in the town of Velká Losenice, which is four kilometers away.

During the 2011 census, over 29 percent of the population in the Vysočina region identified with a faith, making it the second highest percentage in the Czech Republic after the Zlín Region. Since the 1990s, several chapels have been established in the Vysočina region through local initiatives, for example in Věžnice and Brzkova. A new pilgrimage site with a chapel has emerged in Slavkovice.