About the Church
The Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Rēzekne stands in the city of Rēzekne, Latgale, on Latgales Street. It is the cathedral of the Diocese of Rēzekne–Aglona and one of the city's most important architectural landmarks.
The first wooden church on this site was built in 1685, but it was destroyed by a lightning-sparked fire in 1887. The present masonry church has been built since 1893 to a design by the Riga Polytechnic Institute engineer Florian Wiganowski; the first services were held there in 1900, the church was consecrated that same year, and construction was finally completed in 1902. In 1995 Pope John Paul II, who had established the Diocese of Rēzekne–Aglona, granted the church the status of cathedral.
The Gothic Revival cathedral is built of red brick; it is about 51 metres long and about 34 metres wide. The main facade is adorned with two towers bearing four bells, and nine slender turrets rise above the roof. The three-aisled interior is supported by eight columns.
The chancel windows are decorated with stained glass, and the church has five altars; the central one is dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The cathedral remains an important centre of Catholic spiritual life in Rēzekne.
The first wooden church on this site was built in 1685, but it was destroyed by a lightning-sparked fire in 1887. The present masonry church has been built since 1893 to a design by the Riga Polytechnic Institute engineer Florian Wiganowski; the first services were held there in 1900, the church was consecrated that same year, and construction was finally completed in 1902. In 1995 Pope John Paul II, who had established the Diocese of Rēzekne–Aglona, granted the church the status of cathedral.
The Gothic Revival cathedral is built of red brick; it is about 51 metres long and about 34 metres wide. The main facade is adorned with two towers bearing four bells, and nine slender turrets rise above the roof. The three-aisled interior is supported by eight columns.
The chancel windows are decorated with stained glass, and the church has five altars; the central one is dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The cathedral remains an important centre of Catholic spiritual life in Rēzekne.