Church of the Immaculate Conception, Baku

The Church of the Virgin Mary’s Immaculate Conception (Azerbaijani: Müqəddəs Bakirə Məryəm kilsəsi, Russian: Церковь Непорочного Зачатия Пресвятой Девы Марии) is a Roman Catholic church in Baku, Azerbaijan. The original church also named Church of the Immaculate Conception operated from 1915 to 1931, when it was ordered destroyed by the Soviet government.

Not to be confused with former Church of the Immaculate Conception, Baku (1912).
The Church of the Virgin Mary’s Immaculate Conception
Müqəddəs Bakirə Məryəm kilsəsi
Religion
AffiliationRoman Catholic
Ecclesiastical or organizational statusCathedral
Year consecrated2007
Location
LocationBaku, Azerbaijan
Architecture
Architect(s)Paolo Ruggiero
TypeChurch
StyleNeo Gothic
Completed2006

In 2006, a new Catholic church bearing the same name was rebuilt in a different spot of Baku. On 29 April 2007 the new church was consecrated by Apostolic Nuncio in Transcaucasia Monsignor Claudio Gugerotti.

History

In 1997, the Catholic community of Baku was re-established. After Pope John Paul II's visit to Azerbaijan in 2002, it was granted land to build a new church.[1] The cornerstone of the new church was blessed by John Paul II.[2] The new Church of the Virgin Mary’s Immaculate Conception was built in 2006, in a different spot of Baku according to the Italian architect Paolo Ruggiero's project. The style of the building will be New Gothic and will in some ways recall the facade of the original church.[2] The church was designed to have a pastoral center and a residency for priests.[2] The statue of the Virgin Mary by local sculptors was set up over the entrance of the Church which has 200 benches. The church bells were a present from Lech Kaczyński, then President of Poland.[3] On 29 April 2007 the Apostolic Nuncio in Transcaucasia Monsignor Claudio Gugerotti administered the rite of consecration of the Church.[4] The church was then also dedicated on Sunday, March 7th, 2008 by Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone.[5]

See also

References
  1. "Foundation-laying Ceremony of Catholic Church Held in Baku". Today.az. September 13, 2005. Retrieved 2006-08-19.
  2. Zenit Staff (2005-09-14). "Azerbaijani Catholics Get Papal Praise". Zenit. Retrieved 2014-04-23.
  3. History of the Catholic Church in Azerbaijan. Polonia Azerbaijan.
  4. "The Church of the Virgin Mary's Immaculate Conception". Catholic.az. 2007. Archived from the original on 2011-10-01. Retrieved 2014-04-23.
  5. Zenit Staff (2008-03-09). "Azerbaijan Inaugurates 1st Catholic Church". Zenit. Retrieved 2014-04-23.

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