The Church of Saint Thaddaeus, Luchay

About the Church

The Church of Saint Thaddaeus in Luchay was built in 1766-1776 from bricks on the donation of Tadeusz Ogiński. This Catholic church combines Baroque and Classicist features and is an important architectural monument. The church is the cultural heritage of Belarus. 

The history of the church in Luchay began in 1731, when the mission of the Main School of Vilnus was founded here. Initially the mission existed without its own buildings. In 1766 the construction of the church began, and in 1776 it was completed. The first child, named Ignatius, was christianised in the Luchay church in August 1774. The church was originally built in the Baroque style, but in the first half of the 19th century it was slightly rebuilt with the addition of Classicism features.

In 1811, the pipe organ was installed in the church at the expense of Tadeusz Wańkowicz. On 19 December 1821, on St. Valeria's Day, the marriage of Valeria Wańkowicz and the famous scientist and philanthropist Konstanty Tyzenhauz was consecrated here.

During the Second World War the church was badly damaged, and after the expulsion of priest Romeyo in 1948 it was closed and turned into a warehouse. Until 1971, people gathered here for services, although there was no priest in the parish.

On 16 May 1990, the church building was returned to the Catholics. In 2008, the world's first monument to Pope Benedict XVI was erected next to the church of Saint Thaddaeus. In the left part of the territory there is an artificial pond with water plants and a statue of the Virgin Mary in a niche.

The church of Saint Thaddaeus attracts not only believers but also lovers of history and architecture. The combination of cultural heritage, religious significance and natural beauty makes it an attractive place to visit and see.