Building work on the construction of the new Catholic church, the first to be built in the country since 1917, began in the capital Minsk in recent days. The new church will form part of the parish of St. John the Baptist in the Serebrianka district of town. The foundations of the new church should be completed by the onset of winter, and the whole building should be completed between the end of 2008 and 2009. The church will be in the neo-gothic style with modern elements on the outside; the architect is Belorussian as are the building workers. The high altar will be built of Italian marble, while the organ will be imported from Denmark. The parish priest Father Igor Lashuk thanked the state authorities for having granted to the parish exemption from the payment of some taxes and customs dues. The new church will be greatly distinguished in appearance from the other Catholic churches in Belarus, but “the words of faith, hope and love will be the same”, promised Father Igor Lashuk.
