Church of the Good Shepherd in Istebna

The Church of the Good Shepherd stands in the centre of Istebna and is one of the oldest brick buildings in this Beskid village. It was built in 1792-1794 and blessed on 24 August 1794. It is best known for its interior, in which sacred art mixes with highland tradition.

From a chapel of 1720 to a Baroque church

A wooden chapel of 1720, linked with the Jesuit mission among the highlanders, previously stood on this spot. The new three-aisled church with a single tower was designed by the Cieszyn master mason Józef Drachny. Its present architectural form comes from the extension of 1928-1929. A lime-wood cross, attributed to pupils of Veit Stoss's workshop in Kraków, was moved to the new church.

Interior: Wałach and the Konarzewskis

In the high altar, designed by Ludwik Konarzewski senior, hangs a painting of Christ the Good Shepherd by Jan Wałach. Christ is painted against the background of the Istebna landscape, and bas-reliefs of the twelve apostles run around the altar. The polychromes in the nave were made by Wałach and Konarzewski senior; they show, among other things, Hell and Heaven and the confession of the highlanders. The pulpit is shaped like a boat and the font like a shell.

The lamps under the ceiling take the form of oboniki, wooden barrels for sheep's milk, with the bottom replaced by glass and Koniaków lace. Works by Jan Wałach can also be found in the nearby Jan Wałach Museum in Istebna. The chapel to the right of the altar was decorated in 1953 with a painting of a procession of highlanders and with ceramics.

Surroundings of the church

East of the church is a park with trees more than 300 years old, and beside it lies an old cemetery from the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries with cast-iron crosses made in the ironworks at Baszka, Třinec and Ustroń. Next to the church stands the former parish school of 1819, with a plaque honouring the mountaineer Jerzy Kukuczka; his memorabilia can be seen in the Jerzy Kukuczka Memorial Room. If there is time left, the area also has Kawulok's Smoke Hut and the "Na Grapie" Regional Museum in Jaworzynka.

Practical information

• Address: Istebna 402, in the centre of the village.
• The church is in use, so during services visit with care and quietly.
• It is worth looking inside, because most of the interest lies in the interior decoration.
• Check the opening hours and rules for visiting with the parish before your visit.