The first known church was built of wood and demolished in the 19th century. In the 18th century, a stone church was built, and between 1939 and 1973, a monumental church was built at the initiative of Father Nerva Florea.
In 1939, the priest Nerva Florea started the construction of a large and monumental church due to the increase in the population of the village of Ghelar. Originally from the Apuseni Mountains, Nerva had a revelation in 1927, during his studies at the Theological Institute in Sibiu, that he would build a great church. He dreamed up architectural details of the future church.
Arriving in Ghelar, Nerva Florea began the construction of the church in September 1939, relying on his divine revelation and personally supervising the project.
The church was built on a hill in the center of the village, next to the old stone church. 100 kg of dynamite was needed to level the construction site. Due to the lack of funds, fundraising tournaments were organized. By 1945, the walls of the church were raised up to 3 meters high.
Between 1945 and 1955, work was halted due to communist persecution. Nerva Florea was arrested but released for lack of evidence. The works were resumed in 1955 and completed in 1973, the church being consecrated on November 3. The brick construction has walls over 1 meter thick and a unique architectural style called the "heavenly cross".
The church has seven spiers, two in front of 47 meters and an imposing dome in the middle. The locals made great sacrifices for the construction, the materials being transported by difficult methods. In 1958, a road was built connecting Ghelar to Hunedoara, facilitating access.
Sursa: devaturism.ro
