Church of Sacred Heart

Church of the Sacred Heart is a small Roman Catholic church in the lower part of Olomučany, a village in the Blansko district of South Moravia. While the village itself traces its roots back to the Middle Ages, the church is a much younger building, completed just before the Second World War after decades of local effort to have a place of worship closer to home.

Where exactly is the church located?

The church stands in the lower part of Olomučany, on a small rise among trees, along the road leading toward the Bahňák recreational area. Administratively, the village belongs to the Blansko district in the South Moravian Region, and the church itself functions as a filial chapel of the parish in Blansko — it has no resident priest of its own and is served by clergy from the nearby town.

Why did the villagers want a church of their own?

Olomučany had long belonged to the large Blansko parish, but the distance to the parish church was a real burden for many residents, especially on Sundays and holy days. The idea of building a local church first surfaced around the middle of the 19th century — Prince Jan of Liechtenstein and Count Hugo Salm both offered support at the time, though nothing came of it. The cause was later taken up by the local priest, Msgr. František Kyzlink, born in 1862, who pushed hard for a church and almshouse in the village after years of service as a chaplain in Vienna. A local church association was founded in 1912, and from 1928 to 1937 services were held provisionally in a building belonging to the village's factory.

When and how was the church built?

Construction to a design by architect Stanislav Kučera of Brno ran from 1939 to 1940. The foundation stone was blessed on 30 April 1939, and the building was finished the following year — the solemn consecration of the new filial church took place on 4 August 1940, led by Father Arnošt Králík, the parish priest of Ostrov, who was the driving force behind the whole project. The total cost of construction came to 206,750 Czechoslovak crowns, on top of which villagers contributed voluntary labor valued at a further 12,460 crowns — the church was, in large part, a community effort, both financially and physically.

What can visitors see inside and in the tower?

The main altar is topped by a statue of Christ bearing the symbol of the Sacred Heart, bought at his own expense by Father Králík for 2,500 crowns. On 23 June 1940, two bells cast back in 1918 in Brno were hung in the tower — the larger one, dedicated to St. Michael, weighs 300 kg, while the smaller one, dedicated to St. John the Baptist, weighs 350 kg. Toward the end of the 20th century the interior was further enriched with a stained-glass window depicting the Sacred Heart and a painted Way of the Cross, both created by Sabina Kratochvílová.

Frequently asked questions

Which parish does the church in Olomučany belong to? It is a filial church of the Roman Catholic parish of Blansko, to which the whole village administratively belongs.

When was the church built? Construction took place between 1939 and 1940, with the consecration held on 4 August 1940.

Who is the church dedicated to? It is dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Who designed the building? The design was the work of architect Stanislav Kučera of Brno.

What is worth seeing inside? The statue of Christ with the Sacred Heart symbol on the main altar, the stained-glass window and painted Way of the Cross by Sabina Kratochvílová, and two historic bells from 1918 in the tower.