OFFICIAL NEWS
CHURCH OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY OPENED IN BAKU
Today, Church of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary was opened in Baku.
President Ilham Aliyev attended the opening ceremony.
The Church, financed by the State of Vatican, was built by Azerbaijan’s «A+A» Group Of Companies on design of professor of the Naples University Naples University Pado Ruggiero and Baku’s Chief City Architect Akif Abdullayev. The modern style Church, with 1256 sqm area has been equipped with necessary heating, ventilation, fire-extinguishing systems. Simultaneously, about 250-300 people can worship in the Church.
The stands designed in Church reflect visits of the late Azerbaijani President Heydar Aliyev to the State of Vatican, of the Pope of Rome to Azerbaijan, the incumbent President Ilham Aliyev’s visit to Rome, photos of the meetings. During his visit to Azerbaijan in 2007, the Polish President Lech Kaczyński has been in here and donated three bells to the Church. The Church bells ring for quite a few minutes before and often after a service once a week and on holidays.
Currently, there are about 600 Catholics in Azerbaijan, of them, 300 live in separate regions of country.
President Ilham Aliyev, his spouse Mehriban Aliyeva and the visiting Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone have been at the opening ceremony.
After performance of the Azerbaijan State Choir, Chairman of the Church Ian Chapla made introductory speech.
President of Azerbaijan addressed the opening ceremony.
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