St George's Church in Dębieńsko

St George's Church in Dębieńsko Wielkie, part of Czerwionka-Leszczyny, is a Baroque church from the end of the 18th century, extended in 1912 to a cruciform plan. It has preserved furnishings from more than two hundred years ago, including three bells from the 16th century.

From timber to a masonry church

In 1798 the wooden church was pulled down and construction began on a masonry Baroque one, which was consecrated in 1800. The main altar, pulpit, font, liturgical vessels and a copper monstrance, which survives to this day, were moved from the old church. After the opening of the “Dębieńsko” mine the number of parishioners grew, so in 1912 the parish priest Jan Salzburg began an extension. A transept with an apse was added to a design by the architect H. Schneider, who also designed the dome. After the rebuilding the church measured about 45.5 by 13 metres, and the tower is about 25 metres high.

Interior

The main altar holds a painting of St George with figures of St Francis and St Dominic. The Baroque pulpit from 1774 is decorated with bas-reliefs of the four Evangelists, and the font dates from 1808. The organ from 1890 was built by the Rybnik firm of Dürschlang and Son. In the tower hang three historic bells from 1541, 1560 and 1600, and the youngest was cast at the foundry of Zachariah Miller in Olomouc. In 2009, during renovation, the wooden structure of the tower dome burned down, but the fire did not reach the interior and the bells were saved.

Practical information

• Address: ul. Borowa 4, Dębieńsko Wielkie (Czerwionka-Leszczyny).
• The church is active as a parish church. Information on visiting is given on the parish website swjerzy-debiensko.wiara.org.pl.