The Church of St Ignatius at Rdeči breg is a well-known pilgrimage church and the spiritual centre of the Slovenian Jesuits and the Lovrenc parish. It was originally built of wood, but in 1759 it was replaced by a masonry church. It was built by the Benedictines, who feared that Lutheranism might spread to Lovrenc na Pohorju. It is the only church in Slovenia dedicated to the Basque saint Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus.
History of the church
The church was blessed in 1769. It was built out of fear that the Lutheran faith might spread here. It is the only church in Slovenia dedicated to Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus, i.e. the Jesuits.
Architecture of the church
The high altar holds a painting of St Ignatius, with the “Šmohor” (St Hermagoras) altar on the right and the altar of the Mother of God on the left. The walls bear Josephine Stations of the Cross. The church has a spacious nave, a presbytery with a semicircular end, a sacristy and a low wooden bell tower clad in sheet metal with an onion dome. The high altar, made by Jožef Straub in Maribor, holds the painting The Ecstasy of St Ignatius into Heavenly Glory, which was painted specially for this church. In addition to the high altar, the church has two side altars. Both are very modest. The walls of the church are adorned with a depiction of the Josephine Stations of the Cross. Damp has caused considerable damage in the church, blackening the altar, the chandelier and the angels on the vaults.
Interesting facts about the church
In the year of its consecration, on 25 October, Matevž Tavžič and Marija Bomar, and Blaž Papotnik and Marija Medved became the first couples to be married at St Ignatius.
