Basilica of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Bielsko-Biała

The Basilica of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary stands in Hałcnów, a district of Bielsko-Biała, on ulica Wyzwolenia. It is a Baroque brick church with a single nave and a single tower, and also a shrine of Our Lady of Sorrows, with the title of minor basilica since 2016.

History of the building

The church was built in 1777-1781 and the tower was added in 1781-1784. The money came from the offerings of pilgrims who visited an 18th-century figure of Our Lady of Sorrows, known as the Hałcnów Pietà, which had earlier stood in a wayside chapel. The church was blessed on 6 November 1784 and consecrated on 24 April 1822. It has been an independent parish since 1829.

The cult of the Pietà

The figure was crowned in 1926, and after the gold crowns were stolen the coronation was repeated in 1936. The cult attracted pilgrims. The church was raised to the dignity of a minor basilica on 2 July 2016. The parish also runs its own website describing the life of the shrine.

Destruction and reconstruction

In 1942 the occupiers took the bells. During the fighting on 4 February 1945 the church was destroyed and burnt down, and it was rebuilt in 1945-1948. The destroyed figure was replaced with a new one, known as the Pietà of Sorrows.

Nearby

Bielsko-Biała is also home to the Lutheran Church of St John the Baptist, less than 4 km away.

Practical information

• Address: ul. Wyzwolenia, Hałcnów, Bielsko-Biała.
• The building is listed in the heritage register.
• Visiting rules and service times are given on the parish website.