This is the Roman Catholic monastery built in the late 16th century by St Franciscus Order in Pinsk. It is a typical basilica designed by Italian architects and one of the first baroque buildings in Belarus. This monastery was the center of Catholicism in Southern Belarus for many centuries. The most difficult time was the 17th century. Obtruding of Catholicism caused the discontent mood among the other believers. Pinsk was caught by Orthodox Ukrainian Cossacks and they killed many brothers. But the brethren were restored and the new abbots had to be tolerant. Nowadays, the basilica is used partly as headquarter of the Pinsk Roman Catholic diocese and partly as the Catholic Seminary of Thomas Aquinas.












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