Catholic Church

The first Catholic church in Novi Sad from the early 18th century was a modest and a rather temporary structure which was pulled down in 1742. the new church was built at exactly the same spot. After the fall of Belgrade to Turks in 1739, many wealthy Catholics moved to Novi Sad and saw their businesses flourish, which enabled them build fast. A new church was consecrated by the Catholic Archbishop Gabor Patačić in 1742.
In the bombardment of June 12th 1849, the church was heavily damaged and the belfry was completely destroyed. The rebuilding that later ensued never saw the original belfry restored. The Catholics of Novi Sad were discontent with the new design and petitioned the city authorities to build a belfry which would entirely suit the status of a free royal city. In 1891 a decision was made to pull down the existing structure and build a completely new church. In 1892, Georg Molnar, the most renowned architect in Novi Sad of the time, designed the new church completely free of charge. By November 1893, master builders Stefan Gusek and Karl Lerer completed the masonry works and started building the belfry. In 1894, a consecrated golden cross was erected to the top of belfry. The church is 72 meters high, 52 meters long, and 25 meters wide. The maximum height of the roof is 22 meters. the orientation of the nave is Northeast-Southwest. The main entrance to the church is a massive double-winged gate on the top of which is a relief coat of arms and teh inscription 'Crux Amore' (The Cross of Love)
The church has four altars in total. The main one is in the apse, together with a great painting of the Virgin and Hungarian kings St Stephen and St Ladislaus. The woodcarvings depict God, the Evangelists and several Biblical motifs. Left of the apse is the altar of the Resurrection of Jesus with St Peter and Paul wooden figurines. The third altar is consecrated to St Florian, the patron-saint of firefighters. The altar also has wooden figurines of St Emerich, St Elizabeth and The Holy Family. The fourth altar is beneath the choir and is consecrated to the Holy Sepulcher, with four angelical figurines. All the figurines are colorfully painted or in artificial stone. Beneath the choir - in the lower niche - is the bust of Georg Molnar, the main designer of the church. He worked a lot with numerous masters and artisans from Budapest, Timisoara, Tyrol and Subotica, but he preferred those from Novi Sad: master-builder Karl Lerar, mason Johan Šoman, carpenters Matijas Drah and Filip Jaus, sculptor Gustav Frajhtner, locksmith Leopold Bernold, glazier Lajoš Vurst, joiners Stefan Gusek and Karl Bek, dyers Franc Štajn and Ilijaš Vincens, thatcher Jozef Klajnček, smelter Emerik Dizgen, lightning-rod constructor Johan Huk, elctrician Franc Vic and others. The organ was installed by Gerb Riger Jagerdorf from Silesia. and the art carvings and relief were made by Ferdinand Štuflezer from Tyrol.