Church of Our Lady of Consolation in Bielsko-Biała

The Church of Our Lady of Consolation is a Neo-Gothic parish church in the Bielsko-Biała district of Straconka. It was built in 1872-1875, and in 1889 the same architect added a tower.

Who designed the church and what it looks like

The author of the design was Andrzej Walczok, who also directed the extension with a tower in 1889. The building has a single nave and is oriented, meaning the chancel faces east. The Neo-Gothic style can be seen throughout the whole structure.

What is inside

The oldest element of the furnishings is a Gothic sculpture of the Madonna and Child from the turn of the 15th and 16th centuries, made in the circle of Silesian wood carving. A 17th-century painting of Our Lady of Consolation also hangs in the church, and the painting of Saints Stanislaus the Bishop and Peregrine was painted around 1876 by the Slovak painter Piotr Bohun of Biała. The high altar is decorated with figures of two Evangelists from 1875, made in Bielsko by Franciszek Jaratek. The chancel has two stained-glass windows, and on the flat ceiling there are two large folk paintings.

Practical information

• District: Straconka, Bielsko-Biała.
• The church is active as a parish church; check service times with the parish before your visit.
• In Bielsko-Biała you can also see the Cathedral of St Nicholas.