Capuchin monastery (Sušice)

The Capuchin monastery in Sušice is a monastic complex with the Church of St. Felix of Cantalice, located in the town of Sušice in the Pilsen Region in southwestern Czechia. Founded in the mid-17th century, it survived a devastating city fire, a communist-era confiscation and an arson attempt, and today it once again belongs to the Capuchin order.

When was the monastery founded?

The Capuchins were called to Sušice shortly after the end of the Thirty Years' War to provide pastoral care to a population left exhausted by the conflict. The cornerstone of the monastery and church was laid in 1651, and the church itself was consecrated four years later, in 1655. Its construction was part of a broader wave of rebuilding religious life in Czech royal towns after the war.

Who is the monastery church dedicated to?

The monastery church is dedicated to St. Felix of Cantalice, one of the best-known saints of the Capuchin order. The church once housed relics of the saint, donated to the monastery by Empress Eleonora. The presence of these relics made the church a destination for pilgrims and an important religious site in the region.

How did the monastery survive the great fire of 1707?

In 1707 a major fire broke out in Sušice, destroying almost the entire town, including both of its churches. The monastery buildings and the Church of St. Felix survived the blaze, even though the monastery garden and some outbuildings burned down — a remarkable escape given the scale of destruction elsewhere in the town.

What happened to the monastery in the 20th century?

For most of its history the monastery housed only a small community, with a maximum of about twenty Capuchin friars. At the turn of 1949 and 1950 it became the target of an attack: on the night of December 31, 1949, someone deliberately started a fire inside the church intending to destroy the entire building. The attempt failed, and the damage remained minor. The friars' activity was interrupted soon after, however — on May 4, 1950, communist authorities interned the monks, and the army took over the monastery buildings.

When did the monastery return to the Capuchins?

Following the political changes in Czechoslovakia, the monastery was returned to the Capuchin order in 1993. Since then, the friars have once again carried out pastoral work in Sušice, and the monastic complex with the Church of St. Felix remains one of the historic landmarks of the town.

Frequently asked questions

When was the Capuchin monastery in Sušice built? The cornerstone was laid in 1651, and the monastery church was consecrated in 1655.

Who is the monastery church dedicated to? It is dedicated to St. Felix of Cantalice, whose relics — donated by Empress Eleonora — were once kept in the church.

Did the monastery survive the 1707 city fire? Yes. Although the fire destroyed almost the entire town and both of its churches, the monastery buildings and the Church of St. Felix survived, even though the monastery garden and some outbuildings burned.

What happened to the monastery after 1950? The monastery was taken over by communist authorities and the army after the friars were interned on May 4, 1950. Shortly before that, on the night of December 31, 1949, someone had deliberately set the church on fire, though the building was not destroyed. The monastery was returned to the Capuchins in 1993.