Church of the Holy Spirit

The Church of the Holy Spirit in Břidličná is a small Old Catholic church in the town of Břidličná, located in the Bruntál District of the Moravian-Silesian Region in the northeastern Czech Republic. Unlike most parish churches in the region, this building was raised on the initiative of a local Old Catholic congregation rather than a Roman Catholic parish, which gives it an unusual place in the region's religious history.

How did the Church of the Holy Spirit in Břidličná come to be built?

The church was constructed between 1910 and 1911 and was consecrated on 3 December 1911 by Bishop Miloš Čech. From its founding, the building has belonged to the Old Catholic Church (Starokatolická církev), a denomination that emerged in the Czech lands in the 19th century in opposition to the doctrine of papal infallibility proclaimed by the First Vatican Council.

Who was behind the construction?

The driving force behind the project was the local Old Catholic priest, Karel Erhart. His involvement went well beyond the usual role of a clergyman commissioning a building: he donated the land for the church, contributed a substantial sum of his own money, and worked physically on the construction himself. A priest acting simultaneously as founder, financial donor, and builder is an unusual combination, and it explains why the building has long been associated so closely with his name in local memory.

What happened to the church after the Second World War?

The postwar history of the church reflects the dramatic demographic upheaval of the region. After 1945, following the expulsion of the German population from the Czech-Moravian borderlands, the church ceased to serve a religious function — the community that had built and used it largely left the area. In the years that followed, the municipality took over the building and used it as a funeral hall for burial ceremonies rather than for regular worship.

What does the church look like today?

The building survived this period of secular use and underwent a thorough renovation in 2007–2008. As a result, it still stands today as a record of the town's early-20th-century religious and architectural history. The church sits close to another church in Břidličná, which can be confusing for visitors planning to explore the area — it is worth noting that these are two separate buildings, each with its own denominational history and origin.

Frequently asked questions

Which denomination does the Church of the Holy Spirit in Břidličná belong to? Since its founding, the building has belonged to the Old Catholic Church (Starokatolická církev).

When was the church built and consecrated? It was built between 1910 and 1911 and consecrated on 3 December 1911.

Who founded the church? The local Old Catholic priest Karel Erhart initiated and largely financed the project, donating the land and money and working on the construction himself.

Is the church still used for religious services today? After the expulsion of the German population following 1945, the building stopped serving a religious function and was used as a funeral hall; it was renovated in 2007–2008.

Is this the same church as the other one in Břidličná? No — the town also has a separate church under a different dedication, with its own history and denominational affiliation. The Church of the Holy Spirit is a distinct, standalone Old Catholic building.