St. Wenceslas Church (Vršovice)

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The Church of Saint Wenceslas in Vršovice, Prague 10, Czech Republic, is a Roman Catholic parish church built in 1929–1930 to mark the 1000th anniversary of Saint Wenceslas’s death. It was one of three new Prague churches created for the anniversary; the other is the Church of the Most Sacred Heart of Our Lord in Jiřího z Poděbrad. The Vršovice church was built on the site of a former cemetery in Svatopluk Čech Square; there was already a St. Nicholas church in Vršovice with a long history, but this was a new building.

The idea for a new church began in 1864, and a committee was formed in 1902. A design competition produced a Constructivist plan by Czech architect Josef Gočár, winner of the contest. The foundation stone was laid in May 1929 and the church was consecrated on 21 September 1930 by Archbishop Francis Kordac. The complex was designed so a hall leads to the presbytery to suit the sloping ground.

The building is dominated by a 50-metre tower with a large seven-metre cross on top. The tower contains a clock, five bells, and the cross is lit at night; the top can be reached by a ladder. Windows were replaced in 1998 with new glass to direct light as intended by the designer; previously Luxfer glass was used.

The church opened to the public during European Heritage Days in September 2012. It remains active as part of the Prague Archdiocese, serving the parish of Vršovice. The current archbishop is Dominik Duka; the pastor is Stanisław Góra and the deacon is Pavel Svarc.