South Moravian Governor Presents Pope Francis With Cross Made From Beams of Tornado-Hit Church

One of the symbols of the destruction caused by a tornado in South Moravia this summer was the church in Moravská Nová Ves. It remained in the middle of the ruins of the village, without a roof. Credit: JMK.

Czech Rep, Oct 29 (BD) – Despite the piles of rubble everywhere, many residents relied on the church for solace. Tangible memories came from its surviving roof beams – wooden crosses of about 20 centimetres, one of which was presented by South Moravian Governor Jan Grolich (KDU-ČSL) to Pope Francis during a general audience in the Vatican on Wednesday.

Credit: JMK.

The pope blessed the other five crosses. Upon his return, Grolich will deliver them to the villages damaged by the tornado. “Crosses carved from the beam of the church in Moravská Nová Ves embody the hope that it will not end with destruction,” said Grolich. “Enormous material assistance, collections, solidarity and volunteers from all over the country have shown us that when it is needed, we can help each other.”

Credit: JMK.

A tornado with speeds of up to 300 kilometers per hour and hail storms hit Břeclav and Hodonín on Thursday, June 24th, 2021. The wind damaged 1,200 houses, about 200 of which had to be torn down. Six people lost their lives.

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