Piekary Calvary

On Cerekwica Hill in Piekary Śląskie, next to the basilica housing the image of Our Lady of Justice and Social Love, lies the Piekary Calvary – a "New Jerusalem" of the historicist era. Nearly 10 hectares hold 14 Stations of the Cross chapels, 15 Rosary chapels and 11 others, built largely by the faithful themselves without pay. It is the heart of Upper Silesia's most important shrine and the destination of huge annual pilgrimages.

History: from a parish priest's private hill to a Calvary

The idea came from parish priest Bernard Purkop, who in 1866–1871 bought and exchanged land on the hill, planted trees and set up statues, keeping his plans quiet for a long time. An appeal to parishioners about the project appeared in 1869 in the newspaper "Zwiastun Górnoszlązki". During his lifetime, however, only the Holy Sepulchre and five chapels were built, as the Kulturkampf stalled the work. After Purkop's death in 1882 the hill passed to the parish under his will, but a court confirmed this only in 1888.

Construction began afresh in 1887 under parish priest Leopold Nerlich. The overall plan and chapel drawings were prepared by his friend, the Franciscan Władysław (Edward) Schneider, who had just returned after 12 years in the Holy Land. The architect Paul Jackisch worked up the designs and master builder Karol Ogórek led the construction; both, like Father Schneider, worked unpaid, helped by local people. By the end of 1888 eight chapels, the Valley of Jehoshaphat, the Kidron brook and the Garden of Gethsemane were finished, and in 1889 work began on the grandest chapels: the Cenacle and Caiaphas's Palace. The Calvary church was built in 1891–1893 and the Rosary chapels in 1894–1895. Cardinal Georg Kopp consecrated the whole complex on 21 June 1896.

What to see

• St Raphael's Chapel on Rajski Plac (Paradise Square) by the basilica, where the Calvary devotion begins.
• The "Way of the Capture" stations and the Stations of the Cross, including the Cenacle and Caiaphas's Palace.
• The Calvary church, whose façade carries Stations XI, XII and XIII.
• The Rosary chapels along the wall enclosing the hill, plus the chapels of St Stephen and St Helena and the Tomb of the Virgin.
• The sculpture groups – some, such as "The Flagellation" and "The Crowning with Thorns", are by Johannes Baumeister of Wrocław.

Pilgrimages and Passion plays

Since the interwar years, great annual pilgrimages have come here: men and young men on the last Sunday of May and women and girls on the Sunday after 15 August. They draw from tens of thousands to over 100,000 faithful, mainly from Upper Silesia, and the homilies address Catholic social teaching and the concerns of working people. In 2015, after a break of almost a hundred years, the open-air Passion play during Holy Week returned. At the main entrance stands a monument to John Paul II, consecrated in 2005.

Tripto tips

The Calvary is an open park area, so come on a weekday when it is quiet and allow 1–1.5 hours to walk round the chapels. Comfortable shoes help, as the paths are cobbled and climb the hill. On pilgrimage days and during Holy Week expect crowds and traffic disruption. Combine the visit with the Basilica of St Mary and St Bartholomew, home to the image of Our Lady of Piekary.