A 100-kilometer relay race will kick off the centenary celebrations of a church in the Braslav district
A relay race, a secular celebration, and a solemn service will mark the 100th anniversary of the church in Vidzy, Braslav district (Vitebsk region), the rector of the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, Father Alfred, told a BELTA correspondent.
The Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Vidzy (the second largest church in Belarus, second only to the church in Budslav) will celebrate its centenary over three days.
Organizers invite parishioners to take part in a relay race, which will take place on August 30. The route will run along the parish borders and will be about 100 km long. About 30 people have already declared their intention to participate in the relay race, and they have also reported the length of the distance they plan to cover by running. The longest segment so far is 7 km. "We will run through the villages, making stops near crosses and chapels, and at burial sites. Each participant in the relay race will be able to say their prayer. A total of 100 prayers are planned to be recited. A bus will follow us," said Father Alfred, adding that registration for participants is ongoing, and anyone can join the event.
A grand secular celebration in honor of the church will be held in Vidzy on September 7. The program includes a concert, a lottery with prizes, fireworks, and the launch of hundreds of Chinese lanterns into the sky. The most significant religious event in the life of the jubilee church is scheduled for October 5. On this day, Bishop Oleg Butkevich is expected to attend. It is planned that the head of the Vitebsk Catholic Diocese will perform the consecration of the side altars, as well as a memorial cross and a commemorative plaque installed in honor of the church's centenary and the centenary of Cardinal Kazimierz Świątek, who consecrated the Vidzy church after its opening in 1994.
The church in Vidzy is one of the most expressive monuments of architecture in the Neo-Gothic style. The height of the temple is 59 m, but due to the rich red color of its walls, it appears much taller and more massive. The church is included in the State List of Historical and Cultural Values of Belarus.
The first Catholic church in Vidzy was built in 1481 by Bernardine monks who arrived from Vilnius. There is information that a Catholic church was also founded here in the mid-18th century. A new church made of red brick was built in 1914 in the Neo-Gothic style. However, the beautiful church was not lucky: immediately after its completion, during World War I, the temple was seriously damaged. In memory of those events, shells are embedded in the walls of the temple. The church was also damaged during World War II. In 1989, the temple was returned to believers, after which a long restoration of the building began, which continues to this day. Currently, renovation work is actively underway here, and the adjacent territory is being improved.
Alena Tikhonova