Church of Our Lady of Kochawina in Gliwice

The Church of Our Lady of Kochawina stands on the Kopernika estate in Gliwice. It is a parish church run by the Jesuits and since 2020 the Diocesan Shrine of Our Lady of the Good Way.

How it was built

The parish was established on 26 August 1994 by the Bishop of Gliwice. Efforts to build had gone on since 1982, but the authorities did not give permission. The location decision was issued in 1991, and earlier, in 1990, a temporary church had been put up on the plot. Construction of the proper church to a design by Zenon Nasterski began in 1992. The foundation stone, blessed in 1983 by John Paul II on St Anne's Mountain, was set in the wall in 1996. The church was put into use on 24 December 2001 and consecrated on 30 November 2014.

Architecture and interior

The form refers to the Baroque. The church has two levels: the upper one, with an area of 737 m² and balconies, holds about 1,900 people, and the lower one has not yet been put into use. It is built of brick. The tympanum of the façade has three reliefs: of Mary, and of St Stanislaus Kostka and St Andrew Bobola. In 2020 an altar in the form of a wooden triptych with the miraculous image of Our Lady of Kochawina was funded.

The organ from Essen

The organ was built in 1948 by the firm Klais for the cathedral in Essen. After it was moved to the Church of St Engelbert in that city, and that church was taken out of use in 2008, the instrument was bought for Gliwice. Three bells on the church square also come from Essen.

Practical information

• The Kopernika estate in Gliwice; the parish has a website, jezuicigliwice.pl, where you can check the times of services.
• In Gliwice, in the area, you will also find the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul.