The Roman Catholic Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary Immaculate Conception in Kostenevichi village

Kostenevichi village is located in Vileyka district of Minsk region. One of its attractions is the working Roman Catholic Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary Immaculate Conception. We know that it was built in the mid-17^th century and the material for construction was wood. And only in 1763 a stone building was raised instead of the wooden one. But the belfry, which is nearby, was built of wood in the 19^th century. As it often happens, the Church has a quarry-stone fence and three-arched gate. The Church is illuminated at night.

A statue of St. Florian is set on the three-arched gate. Do you know that St. Florian is the patron of Poland and certain professions? These are such professions as firefighters, brewers, metallurgists and chimney sweeps. He was canonized as a Saint for trying to save several dozen Christians from execution, because of what he was killed. The gate is made of red brick. The gate and the fence were built in the late 19^thand early 20^th centuries.

If you look closely, you will be able to see plate with the inscription “1896”on the threshold of the Church. Probably, it is a date of one of the reconstructions of the building. The Church itself is located behind a fence, made of cobblestone. You can see a nice lawn and planted arborvitae behind the fence.  There is a paved walkway around the Church.

If it is interesting, the Shrine has a rectangular shape and is built in the style called late Baroque. There is one hall of relatively small size inside. Here is the altar, surrounded by 6 semi-circular columns of the Ionic Order. They support a many-tiered cornice. A crypt with tombs takes half the length of the hall to the side of the altar. The temple floor is of particular note. It is laid out in a multi-colored mosaic. Once it was supposed to be poured with the concrete, and then to be tiled, but the locals didn’t allow it. The box ceiling is decorated with wood. A plaster sculpture is on the altar. The original decoration of the altar, unfortunately, did not survive.

On the east side, there is an extension – the sacristy. This space is used to store the priests’ vestments and church plate. The sacristy is also made in the Baroque style.

According to rumors, a priest once served in the church. He made furniture. Presumably, the wooden altar of the church was carved by him. The three sturdy chairs made by his hands are also kept in the church. In addition to many others, the icon of “The Miracle of St. Anthony of Padua” is in the Church. It was made by the painter N. Y. Silivanovich in 1915.

There is another interesting fact about this church. In 2013, the Ministry of Communications and Informatization of the Republic of Belarus issued a stamp devoted to the 250th anniversary of the shrine, with an image of the church.

The church is located in a picturesque location. It is a place of pilgrimage for many believers. Trips and excursions are organized. Currently, the church is in the State List of Belarusian Historical and Cultural Values.