Supported projects

Brankovice - The Roman Catholic Parish of Brankovice implemented the project “Preservation of the Saint’s Spring.”

Project: Záchrana poutního místa s pramenem / U Svaté
Organization: Římskokatolická farnost Brankovice

In the 1970’s, the path to the Saint’s Spring was ploughed over as fields were consolidated under government policy. The chapel was left cut off from the village making it difficult to reach. The chapel gradually deteriorated through neglect and early 2007 found the chapel and spring in disastrous condition. Residents sadly reminisced about the beauty of the Saint’s Spring, but they did not forget.

Spurred by residents’ interest, the local Catholic parish applied for and received a grant from the Via Foundation Czech Heritage Society. The project was set in motion. Residents cleared the area of non-native vegetation and fallen branches. Next were repairs to the pipes which carry water under the chapel, as leaks had caused the foundation to become unstable. The chapel’s lone resident, a statue of Our Lady of Sorrows, was removed so that it could be restored and preserved. Local belief held that the statue was a plaster replica of the wooden original, a claim supported by a mention in the parish chronicle from 1934. Under expert analysis, historians and Brankovice residents alike were shocked to learn that the statue was in fact the wooden original, at least several hundred years old!

Restoration work on the chapel and on the statue continued until the grand re-opening in fall 2008. Memory of the Saint’s Spring’s beauty was enough to breathe new life into this small, but important, piece of Czech history, but the dedication of local residents paired with the support of the Czech Heritage Society allowed this history to become a living part of our future.

Photo Gallery