On Friday, May 29, visitors will have the opportunity to climb the observation tower from 5:00 p.m., at 7:30 p.m. a holy mass will be held on the spot. Franciscan František Xaver Olbert, OFM, will be the main celebrant. The Holy Mass will be followed by a concert performed by double bassist František Výrostek and violinist Alžbeta Godovičová.
Volunteers will also offer participants a night tour of the ruins of the church and monastery from approximately 9:30 p.m. Since last year, Katarínka has been better accessible thanks to a new asphalt road that leads from the main road between Dechtica and Naháč to the forest. “Throughout the evening, refreshments in the form of bread with lard and onions will be available. Visitors to the event will have the opportunity to purchase souvenirs at the sales stand for a voluntary contribution. All supporters of this traditional event or exploring historical monuments are cordially invited to experience a piece of history at this place,” invites Sebastián Lukáš Šedo from the civic association Katarínka.
Monastery of St. Catherine of Alexandria was abolished by the decree of Joseph II. in 1786, since then it had only occasional residents and the relatively large area began to deteriorate. Since 1994, volunteers have been working to save the ruins, mainly during the summer holidays. The result of their efforts was not only the cleaning of the site, the preservation of the walls, but also archaeological research. During their work, they use period techniques of masonry, grouting, drawing oak beams, and they also use a hand-hewn tiller. The Katarínka civic association won the Fénix – Cultural monument of the year 2017 award for the observation tower.
The aim of the Night of Churches is to make temples accessible to the general public even outside of religious services and to present not only their spiritual, but also their historical and cultural values. Several dozen churches from different parts of Slovakia will participate in the event this year with their activities, where a program for visitors will be prepared. The tradition of the Night of Churches was founded in 1995 in Frankfurt am Main, from where the event spread to Austria and other European countries. In 2009, the Czech Republic also joined with the churches in Brno and Pilsen.
In 2011, the event was also held on a large scale in Slovakia, its great promoter was the then Archbishop of Trnava, Róbert Bezák. After its premature end, the main organizer of the Night of Churches is missing at the head of the diocese.
Source: Hlavnespravy
