Marian Shrine in Szczyrk

The Shrine of Our Lady Queen of Poland stands in the northern part of Szczyrk, at an altitude of 670 m above sea level, in a place called Górka, hence its second name: the Shrine at Górka. It lies on the hiking trail from Szczyrk to Klimczok and has drawn pilgrims for more than a century.

The beginnings of the cult

Marian devotion in this place goes back to 1894, when apparitions are said to have taken place here. The building of the first wooden chapel then began. The growing number of pilgrims meant a larger church was needed, so in 1912 construction began on a masonry chapel, completed after the First World War.

The present church

Since 1938 the place has been looked after by the Salesians from Oświęcim. In 1948 they initiated the building of the present church, completed in 1954. On the hundredth anniversary of the apparitions, 3 May 1994, the diocesan bishop of Bielsko-Żywiec, Tadeusz Rakoczy, blessed the church and raised it to the dignity of a shrine. The image of Our Lady Queen of Poland was crowned in 2008 by Cardinal Stanisław Dziwisz.

Above the tabernacle hangs an image of Our Lady painted in 1960 by Stefan Just on the basis of accounts of the apparitions. The twenty-voice organ with polychrome decoration and a mosaic on the theme of the rosary dates from 1974.

The Apparition Chapel and the miraculous spring

Next to the church the Apparition Chapel was built, containing a beech trunk against which, according to tradition, Our Lady appeared. Nearby there is also a grotto with a spring regarded as miraculous. Indulgence feasts are held on 31 January, 3 May and 15 August. A pilgrims' house with beds for 120 people has been prepared for pilgrims.

Practical information

• The shrine lies in the northern part of Szczyrk, beside the trail to Klimczok.
• From the square in front of the church there is a panorama of the town and surrounding peaks, among them Skrzyczne and Skalite.
• Check service and visiting times on the shrine's website before your visit.