Church of the Visitation of the Virgin Mary in Soběšovice

The Church of the Visitation of the Virgin Mary in Soběšovice is a Roman Catholic filial church standing in a village in the Frýdek-Místek district, in the Moravian-Silesian Region of Czechia's Silesian borderland. The church today belongs to the parish of Domaslavice and serves as a venue for regular Masses and for community gatherings on major church holidays.

What is the history of the church in Soběšovice?

The village has had its own church since time immemorial – the original building was a wooden structure. Until 1654 it belonged to the Soběšovice parish, after which administration passed to the parish of Domaslavice, which it still falls under today. Between 1788 and 1789 the wooden church was replaced with a brick building. In July 1933 lightning struck the tower, causing significant damage, but the church was fully repaired within two years.

Why does the current church stand in a different location than the original?

The site of the eighteenth-century brick church was submerged in the mid-twentieth century by the waters of the Žermanická reservoir. The last service held in the old brick church took place on 28 October 1956 – shortly afterward, the site and the church itself disappeared beneath the rising waters of the new dam. As a result, the residents of Soběšovice had to build an entirely new church in a different, safe location.

How was the new church built?

Building permission for the new church was granted on 16 April 1957. Local parishioners carried out the construction themselves, as unpaid community work, without any state subsidy. Material salvaged from the demolition of the old, soon-to-be-flooded church was reused in the new building, preserving a physical link between the earlier and the current structure despite the change of site.

Which parish does the church belong to today?

The Church of the Visitation of the Virgin Mary in Soběšovice is a filial church of the Roman Catholic parish of Domaslavice – the same arrangement that has applied since 1654, when the village lost its status as an independent parish in favor of the neighboring settlement. The church continues to serve the local community for regular worship and as a gathering place during religious holidays and important celebrations.

Where exactly is the church located?

The church stands in Soběšovice, a village in the Frýdek-Místek district, immediately next to the Žermanická reservoir, which now covers the site of the church's original, historic location.

Frequently asked questions

Is the current church the same building as the original one? No. The current church was built from scratch starting in 1957, after the old eighteenth-century church was submerged by the waters of the Žermanická reservoir. Material salvaged from the demolished old church was, however, reused in the new building.

When was the last service held in the old church? On 28 October 1956 – shortly afterward, the site was flooded by the rising waters of the new reservoir.

Which parish does the church belong to? The Roman Catholic parish of Domaslavice, which Soběšovice has belonged to since 1654.

Who funded the construction of the new church? The residents of Soběšovice built it themselves as unpaid community work, without state funding – the building permit was issued on 16 April 1957.