Church of Saint Catherine

The Church of Saint Catherine in Zubří is a late Baroque parish church that has shaped the skyline of this town in the Moravian-Silesian Beskids since the late 18th century. The building replaced an older wooden church dating back to the 16th century, which had grown too small for the expanding parish. Today it remains an active place of worship and a landmark worth a stop for anyone exploring the area around Vsetín and Valašské Meziříčí.

When was the church in Zubří built?

The current stone church was constructed between 1785 and 1788. It was consecrated by the dean from Valašské Meziříčí, the deanery under which the Zubří parish fell at the time. The new building closed out an era in which the local community had relied on a wooden church going back to the 16th century — one that had simply become too cramped as the parish grew.

What makes the church's architecture distinctive?

The church has a three-nave layout with built-in galleries, a design rare and significant enough to be the reason the building was listed as a protected cultural monument. Inside, visitors find a painted presbytery and a set of Stations of the Cross. In 1892 the church underwent a thorough renovation of both its exterior and interior, during which new organs were installed — the same instrument still used today for services and concerts.

What is the history of the parish and building in the 20th and 21st centuries?

The church remains under the care of the Roman Catholic Parish of Zubří, part of the Valašské Meziříčí deanery. In the 1990s it underwent a comprehensive repair that also modified the liturgical space to bring it in line with post-conciliar requirements. That period of work culminated in a formal consecration performed by the Archbishop of Olomouc, Jan Graubner, in 2010 — exactly 222 years after the church's original completion.

What happens at the church beyond regular Mass?

Besides its regular liturgical role, the Church of Saint Catherine also hosts singing and organ concerts. The organ installed in 1892 continues to serve as a concert instrument, making the site a point of interest for lovers of sacred music as well as for pilgrims and parishioners.

Where exactly is the church located?

The church stands in the center of Zubří, a town in the Vsetín District of the Zlín Region, within the Moravian-Silesian Beskids, in the area known as Moravian Wallachia (Valašsko). Its coordinates are 49.468552, 18.093679.

Frequently asked questions

Which saint is the church dedicated to? The church is dedicated to Saint Catherine of Alexandria.

When was the current building constructed? It was built between 1785 and 1788 in the late Baroque style.

Was there an earlier church on this site? Yes — a wooden church dating from the 16th century stood there before, eventually replaced because it could no longer accommodate the growing parish.

What is architecturally unusual about this church? Its three-nave interior with built-in galleries, a feature that led to its listing as a cultural monument.

When was the church consecrated in its present form? Archbishop of Olomouc Jan Graubner performed the formal consecration in 2010, following a comprehensive renovation completed in the 1990s.