Часовня Марии Гатчинской

Hidden within Gatchina, a town near St. Petersburg, stands the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church. A silent testament to faith and resilience, the church has witnessed a tumultuous history. The Catholic parish of Gatchina embarked on this architectural dream in 1906. The design, entrusted to Lev Chichko, later saw contributions from Leonid Kharlamov and Alexander Baryshnikov. By 1911, this neo-Gothic masterpiece was complete. Bishop Jan Cieplak consecrated the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church on November 13, 1911, linking it to the St. Catherine parish in St. Petersburg. The Russian Civil War brought a dark chapter to the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church’s story. In 1920, Bolsheviks, demanding the keys to the tabernacle, assaulted an elderly priest when he refused. The tabernacle was broken open. The Eucharist was desecrated, scattered upon the floor. The ciborium was stolen. The priest, overwhelmed by the sacrilege, died from the shock. The Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church endured further hardship. It was closed in 1937 during Stalin’s Great Terror. This closure was finalized in 1939. The building was repurposed, first as a bakery and later, damaged during the war, as a garage. Hope flickered anew in 1992. The Gatchina Catholic parish was reborn, meeting in a rented space. The Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church was returned to them in 1994. The first Masses were held in 1996. These were sporadic at first, as the church underwent restoration. Now, under the care of the Salesians, the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church stands as a beacon of faith, a reminder of perseverance, and a testament to the enduring spirit of Gatchina’s Catholic community.