The municipality of Kunčina wants to modify the small church in Nová Ves for cultural and social purposes

Kunčina – The municipality of Kunčina in the Svitavy region wants to convert the chapel of St. Roch in the local part of Nová Ves for cultural and social purposes. The building has been in its ownership for decades and is deconsecrated. The town hall is commissioning an architectural study for further use and an assessment of the chapel's condition, said mayor Miroslav Kubín (SNK Kunčina and Nová Ves) to ČTK.

"We would like to create a space for people to meet, a community-centered building that we will want to open to people, so that the church is not closed all year round, but there will be events such as concerts, meetings, welcoming newborns, or a wedding space for marriages," stated Kubín.

According to him, the space is acoustically and visually interesting, but needs renovation. The surroundings of the building are also appealing, and there is a good view of the countryside from the hill. The building ceased to be used for services due to the small number of parishioners about ten years ago, and has been closed since then.

In recent years, the municipality has been trying to revive it with occasional events. A Christmas concert and a gathering, as well as a music performance for Mother's Day, took place there, and well-preserved organs are available.

The study and construction assessment will cost about 300,000 crowns, half of which Kunčina has obtained from a grant from the Pardubice region. The mayor believes that major structural renovations will not be necessary. The roof covering was repaired a few years ago, but the walls are damp in places. The inventory is borrowed from another parish, but the benches are infested with wood-destroying insects, which could also damage the building's structures.

The plain-style church of St. Roch dates back to 1857 and stands on the site of a wooden church from 1740. The rectangular single-aisle building with a semicircular apse has a tower on the west side and a sacristy on the north side. The church's furnishings are simple from the time of its construction, including an altar early Baroque painting of St. Roch and St. Sebastian. In front of the church stands a stone group of the Calvary from 1862.