For now, the Catholic Church of St. Joseph is one of the landmarks of the city that symbolizes the value of cultural and historical ties of generations.

Catholics that lived in Luniniec from the earliest times belonged to the Franciscan parish in Pinsk. In 1903, the wooden Chapel of the Ascension of the Mother of God was built at the Catholic cemetery, which existed until the end of the 1960s at the exit from Luniniec in the direction to Pinsk.

As a result of the Riga Peace of 1921, Western Belarus, including Luniniec, became part of Poland. In January 1922, an independent Catholic parish was created in the city.

The Luniniec chapel was visited in passing by the head of the Polish state, Józef Piłsudski. He advised the parish priest and parishioners to build a new Catholic church. The Catholic church of the parish of St. Joseph was built in Luniniec in 1931, thanks to the whip-round of believers, philanthropists and with the help of the state.

In those days, the Catholic church was a rectangular building with a high, sharp roof. There was a semicircular extension behind. The bell tower was located above the central aisle. There is a round carved window above the entrance.

In 1939, with the outbreak of World War II, Western Belarus became part of the BSSR. As a result of the anti-religious policy of the Soviet regime, the building of the Catholic Church of St. Joseph was converted into a warehouse. This was reflected in the appearance of the temple: the bell tower was demolished, the shape of the windows was changed. To increase the area of the warehouse, one of the walls was demolished and an additional volume was added.

With the restoration of independence of Belarus in 1991, the Catholic Church of St. Joseph was returned to the Pinsk diocese of the Catholic Church. A cross was erected at the site of the bell tower. A wooden cross with the figure of the crucified Jesus Christ was erected before entrance to the territory of the church.

Publication date: 02.02.2021.

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