Church of Saint John the Baptist, Neo-Gothic church in Sudice, Czech Republic
The Church of Saint John the Baptist is a Neo-Gothic three-nave basilica with a transept, built in 1906 in Sudice to plans by architect Josef Seyfried of Kravař. It replaced an older church on the village's northern edge, and the statue of John the Baptist from that burned predecessor stands in the main altar. The parish complex includes the church, a three-storey villa-style rectory, farm buildings, a tomb and a walled enclosure with an entrance gate.
The old church of St John the Baptist stood in Sudice until it burned down on 15 September 1906; its statue of the saint survives in the main altar. The present church was begun on 1 March 1904 to plans by Josef Seyfried of Kravař, the foundation stone was laid on 5 April 1904, and the Olomouc suffragan Karel Wisnar consecrated it on 19 November 1906. In 1917 and 1944 its bells were requisitioned for military use; three new bells named Jan, Josef and Hedvika were blessed on 2 June 1990.
The square in front of the church is named after Arnošt Jureczka, the priest who led the parish from 1897 to 1945 and pushed through the building of the new church. The statue of John the Baptist on the main altar survived the fire that destroyed the old church on 15 September 1906. Three bells named Jan, Josef and Hedvika, blessed by Bishop Jan Graubner on 2 June 1990, still ring today.
The church stands on the square named after Father Arnošt Jureczka, who led the parish from 1897 to 1945. The whole complex, including the three-storey villa-style rectory, farm buildings, tomb and the enclosure wall with its entrance gate, has been a cultural monument since 1990. Restoration in stages has been under way since 1996, so parts of the exterior may be under repair.
The statue of John the Baptist on the main altar survived the fire that destroyed the old church on 15 September 1906, and it is still part of the altar today. The new church was consecrated on 19 November 1906 by Olomouc auxiliary bishop Karel Wisnar, who had blessed four new bells the day before.
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