Friday, June 1, 2012

Brno Church Night 2012

Tonight was Church Night in Brno.  It's something very similar to the Night of the Museums.  There were 35 different churches which were open to the public from 5:30 to midnight.  Many of the churches began with a mass.  Some of the churches opened up parts that are usually closed to the public.  There were lots of families out making the rounds.

Claudia, Natalie and I went to four churches which we had never been to before.  We also kept it varied by visiting three different denominations - Catholic, Orthodox, and Evangelical.  What's amazing to me is that there are actually 35 churches in Brno when you consider that officially the Czech Republic is the most atheist country in the world.

We started off at the St. Augustine church at Náměstí Miru.  The church was established in September 1938.  We sat for a 45 minute mass.  I find that the Catholic mass here follows a slightly different order than it does in the USA.  For example, greeting each other with "peace be with you" is in the middle here whereas I grew up with it being almost at the end of the service.

Next we headed for the Russian Orthodox church near Špilberk Castle.  St. Wenceslas was built between 1930 - 1931.  It was the first Orthodox church in Brno. 

 

The Bethlehem Church is on Pellicova near Špilberk as well.  It was built in 1895.  Today it is an Evangelical church.

Our final stop was at the Red Church.  I've seen it from the outside but this was my first time actually going inside.  It is way more impressive from the outside.  The church was quite full because a choir kept performing part of Jesus Christ Superstar, in Czech. 

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