Church of the Holy Apostles Philip and James in Żory

The Church of the Holy Apostles Philip and James is the oldest church in Żory. It stands in the town centre, next to the market square, near the former defensive walls. It is a Gothic building of brick and stone, and its tower is about 54 m high.

From village to town

A church in Żory existed long before the development of the town: a bull of Pope Celestine III of 1193 confirmed a village "with a church" as an endowment of the monastery of Augustinian canons on the Sand in Wrocław. The present building dates from the 13th century, although the heritage register dates it to the 15th century. Its Gothic body and its position by the fortifications allowed it to take part in the defence of the town in 1345, 1433 and 1473. Fires damaged it in 1583 and on 17 May 1661, when the vaults collapsed; the reconstruction was completed in 1673.

Destruction and rebuilding

The heaviest losses came with the Second World War: the retreating Germans blew up the pillars and the church was left in ruins. The reconstruction took place in 1946-1948, and the church was reconsecrated on 4 June 1950. The interior was restored to a design by Professor Zbigniew Wzorek of Kraków.

Architecture and furnishings

The interior is formed by three aisles of equal height covered by a ribbed cross vault, supported by six octagonal pillars. The tower has four storeys, corner buttresses and a Baroque spire on an octagonal third storey. The high altar is a three-storey retable; behind it hangs a painting of Our Lady of Mercy from 1690. The side altars are of marble, and the stained-glass windows with the mysteries of the rosary were designed by Łukasz Karnowski. Adjoining the church is the round chapel of Our Lady of Mercy from 1690, founded by the mayor Zygmunt Wacław Linek; today it is used for perpetual adoration.

Next door

In the immediate vicinity, 200-300 metres away, are the synagogue in Żory, the Municipal Museum and fragments of the defensive walls. A walk around the market square makes it possible to see all of these places in one afternoon.

Practical information

• Address: ul. Piotra Klimka 1, Żory.
• This is a working parish church; information on access to the interior is given by the parish on the website filipjakub.pl.