Church of Saint Matthew

The Church of Saint Matthew in the village of Hať, in the Opava district close to the Polish border, is a Baroque parish church that has been listed in the Central Register of Cultural Monuments of the Czech Republic since 1964. It stands on the site of an earlier wooden church with a 16th-century tower, which was pulled down in 1729 to make way for a permanent stone building.

Who built the church, and when?

Construction was carried out by the Jesuit college of Opava. Preparatory work began as early as 1726, when quarried stone started arriving in Hať for the foundations and walls. The roof went up in the autumn of 1730, and the foundation stone was symbolically laid on 1 April 1731 by Karel Lutticz, rector of the Opava Jesuits, together with the local parish priest, Martin Dionýz Řehulka. The new stone church replaced the older wooden one, of which the bells are the only surviving element, later rehung in the new tower.

What can you see inside and outside?

The church is a single-nave structure of quarried stone and brick, closed off by a semicircular apse. The tower stands on the south side of the chancel — its ground floor originally served as a sacristy, while the upper floor housed an oratory. The building measures roughly 31 metres in length and 13.3 metres across the nave, with the tower projecting a further 15.4 metres to the south.

Inside, the main altar carries a painting of Saint Matthew, flanked by side altars dedicated to Saint Barbara, an Ecce Homo scene, and Saint John of Nepomuk. The choir gallery holds a ten-register organ, while fourteen Stations of the Cross line the nave walls. Two bells from the original wooden church still hang in the tower: the larger, 105 cm across, bears the inscription "Jesus-Maria," and the smaller, 81 cm across, reads "Joanes-Mathaeus-Marcus-Lucas."

How do you get there, and when should you visit?

Hať lies in the Opava district right next to the Czech-Polish border, making the church an easy day-trip destination for travelers coming from Upper Silesia. The most convenient way to reach the village is by car along local roads connecting Opava with the neighboring border towns; the church sits in the center of the village and its tower is visible from the main road.

Since the building functions as an active parish church, the best time to visit is outside service hours — it is worth checking the local Mass schedule beforehand. The church also takes part in the nationwide Night of Churches (Noc kostelů) event, when it opens its doors to visitors in the evening, offering a relaxed, well-lit opportunity to see the interior in detail.

Frequently asked questions

Is the church in Hať a protected monument? Yes, it has been listed in the Central Register of Cultural Monuments of the Czech Republic since 1964 as an example of Baroque sacred architecture from the Opava region.

Who built the church? It was built by the Jesuit college of Opava between 1729 and 1731, on the site of an earlier 16th-century wooden church.

Can visitors go inside? Yes, the church functions as an active parish church and additionally opens to visitors during the Night of Churches event; on other days, it is best to plan a visit around Mass times.

What is the most notable feature of its furnishings? The historic bells carried over from the original wooden church, along with the main altar's painting of the church's patron, Saint Matthew.