Found a Catholic church next to the Mepas Mall and the Ocra center. This understated church was a former army warehouse, with some war damage present. I walked around but the beyond a yellow cross, a couple of drawings, and two signs, there was little sense that this was a church. This drab concrete structure was next to a basketball court, with its broken basketball backboards, and graffiti covered walls. At the back, there was the large unfinished construction area, concrete slabs with rusted rear creating a maze of metal.
I had to check it out on the internet to find out more. Župa sv. Ivana apostola i evanđelista was created to fill what the Catholic community sees as a void in palces of worship. In their well developed web page, there are resources that aren’t otherwise apparent in this former warehouse. Like other religious institutions in the city, they have laid a cornerstone for a larger space, but it remains unbuilt.
Perhaps, one day, the City of Mostar will be able to build and rebuild its missing religious institutions. Of course, in America, we have a lot of storefront churches, many of which work hard to earn funds to build new churches. But this warehouse church stuck with me, small and unassuming, it has greater significance than its architecture would indicate.
Amy in Mostar 