Church of Saint Giles in Křelov, Catholic church on Lipové náměstí in Křelov, Czech Republic
The Church of Saint Giles in Křelov is a 1991–1993 reinforced-concrete building by Polish architect Jerzy Pekala, standing on the site of a Baroque church demolished in 1963. Its rectangular nave has a flat presbytery and a saddle roof; a slant-cut prism tower with a belfry and clock faces rises from the facade. The interior is plain and light, with a large crucifix, a statue of Saint Giles with a hind, and an electronic instrument replacing the organ.
A church in Křelov is first documented in 1279, in a dispute over patronage rights between two noblemen; nothing is known of its appearance. A Baroque church of Saint Giles was built in 1719–1721 and consecrated on 8 October 1741 by Bishop Jakob Ernst von Liechtenstein. Plundered by Prussian troops in 1758, it was demolished in 1963 after static cracks, and the present church was built in 1991–1993 to a design by Polish architect Jerzy Pekala.
The church is dedicated to Saint Giles, shown inside with his hind. Its wall carries a mosaic of the Virgin Mary of Svatý Hostýn, a pilgrimage site in Moravia. The parish kept a chapel in the ground floor of the rectory from 1964 until the new church opened.
The church is generally accessible during mass times and religious celebrations throughout the week and year. To visit at other times, arrange access through the local parish office or community authorities.
The foundation stone was consecrated by Pope John Paul II in 1990 during his first visit to Czechoslovakia; it is set into the tower wall beside the entrance. The church has an atypical orientation, with the entrance roughly east and the altar west.
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