Czechia is apparently one of the most atheistic countries in Europe, which is surprising given the abundance of churches in its cities. When searching for Gothic cathedrals or beautiful churches, the first thing that probably comes up is a picture of Czech churches.
Anyway, I decided to investigate how the ceremony, or rather the Mass, is conducted. In Olomouc, they have a very interesting Mass on Sundays, conducted in English. Yes, in English. The church is located close to the main square and appears quite simple from the outside. It lacks flashy architectural features, golden statues, or sculptures; just a simple staircase leads you to the entrance.
The priest endeavors to conduct the service in English, although he is still learning, so one must be patient with him. What was particularly interesting is that they only choose someone to read the scriptures a few minutes before the beginning... and this week, he chose a newbie... ME 😂 I was a bit nervous, but in the end, I think I did quite well, maybe a bit too fast, but who can blame me.
The entire Mass lasted about 45 minutes, which is standard, at least by Central European standards. The ceremony was somewhat prolonged due to the lack of English proficiency, but I can't blame him. In the middle, the priest brought out some visual aids, which was interesting, and made comparisons with Šantovka (shopping center), which was also interesting.
I didn't realize that this Mass is mostly for foreigners, and because it was a melting pot of different nations, there was one moment that was especially surprising for me. When the priest wished us peace, we usually just shake hands with our neighbors, but there they stood up and walked around giving hands to everybody... really interesting, but I'm not sure if this is a Czech tradition 😂
Location
Address: 2, Kapucínská 115, 779 00 Olomouc.
Until next time,
With Love,
TP 💗