WORKS ON CATHEDRAL CHURCH RESUME THANKS TO PRESIDENT DODIK

MOSTAR, APRIL 3 /SRNA/ - The restoration works on the Cathedral Church of Holy Trinity in Mostar will resume in mid-April thanks to the funds provided by Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik, said the elder of this church Duško Kojić.

Kojić stated that for certain period of time, the restoration work on the Cathedral Church were at a standstill, but President Dodik made it possible for the project to continue. In September of last year, during the donor lunch for the restoration of the Cathedral and the visit of His Holiness Patriarch Porfirije of Serbia to Mostar, the president of Srpska announced that Republika Srpska would provide not less than EUR three million. "President Dodik promised he would advocate for the completion of the restoration of the Cathedral Church and provide material resources. A part of these funds has already been paid into the account of our diocese. The funds will be paid in as the works continue. Thus, half of the funds for the completion of the restauration works will be provided by Republika Srpska," Kojić said. He pointed out that at the same time, the church interior decoration project is being worked on, in order for the interior works to be done at the same time. The construction of the garage and the parish house will follow. Kojić stated that the assistance of Serbia is also expected, which has helped to the same extent as Republika Srpska, and is the biggest reconstruction donor. The priest added that Mostar City of also provided part of the funds in this year's budget in the amount of approximately BAM 170,000, and that a smaller part was also provided through projects at the level of the Federation of BiH. "We hope that the governments of the Federation of BiH and the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton will be more actively involved in financing so that we can complete the restoration of the Cathedral Church by 2026," Kojić said. Since it was built in 1873, the Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity has been an ornament and one of the symbols of Mostar, which was also declared a national monument. At the time it was built, it was the largest Orthodox church in the Balkans. The church was set on fire on June 15, 1992, and the process of mining and demolishing it lasted for a month, until the last stone fell. The restoration of the church began in 2010, making the cathedral church once again rising proudly above Mostar by completing rough construction works. However, a lot of funds are still needed for full renovation, interior and ground floor decoration.