(ANS - Baku) - On 29 April in Baku the dedication of the new church of the Immaculate Conception of Our Blessed Lady took place.
Mgr Claudio Guggerotti, Bishop of Rebellum and Nuncio Apostolic of Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan presided at the consecration.
In the altar of the new church were placed some relics of the apostle Bartholomew, who proclaimed the gospel in these lands, of Blessed Nicola Charneckyi, a Ukrainian martyr under the communist regime, of Don Bosco, Mother Mazzarello and Dominic Savio.
The church, designed in modern style with some neo-gothic elements by the Italian architect Paolo Ruggero, was built thanks to the support of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples and of many benefactors including Sheik Allahshukur Pashazade, head of the Muslim community in the Caucasus, the Orthodox Bishop Alexander of Baku, and the head of the Jewish community. Among those present at the ceremony were also the Ambassadors of Poland and of Italy to Azerbaijan.
On 31 March during an official visit the President of the Republic of Poland Lech Kaczynski, gave the new church a chalice, a paten and theree bells.
The church of the Immaculate Conception of Our Blessed Lady is the only Catholic church in Azerbaijan, a country with 8 million inhabitants of whom 95% are Muslim. In 2000 the Catholic mission was entrusted to the Salesians of the Province of Slovenia. The Salesian community, led by Mgr. Ján Capla, contains six religious: 2 Brothers and 4 Priests.
Published 02/04/2007
