St James the Apostle Church in Jedwabne

Two white towers with dark cupolas rise above the flat country between Łomża and the Biebrza river and mark the centre of Jedwabne. St James the Apostle Church was built in 1926–1935, as the small town was recovering from the ruins of the First World War and regaining its town charter.

History: rebuilding after 1915

A wooden church from 1738 once stood on this site. In August 1915, during the Russian army's retreat, Jedwabne was almost completely destroyed and the church burned down. The new masonry church was designed by Feliks Michałowski, and construction was led by two successive parish priests, Fr Andrzej Gawędzki and Fr Marian Szumowski. Bishop Stanisław Kostka Łukomski of Łomża consecrated it on 22 July 1935. The church was thoroughly renovated in 1991–2000.

What to see

• The façade – Neo-Baroque with two towers, a large window above the main door and cupolas topped with lanterns.
• The interior – four altars. The main altar holds a sculpture of the Transfiguration, the side altars paintings of Our Lady of Perpetual Help and St Anthony, and the chapel a painting of St Jude Thaddeus.
• The oldest treasures – a monstrance from 1616 and a chalice from 1837, both older than the church itself.
• The surroundings – the church is enclosed by a wall built in 1926–1935, and behind it stands a late 19th-century presbytery.

Tripto tip

The church stands on plac Jana Pawła II, the town's former market square. Allow 15–30 minutes; the interior is mainly open during services. From here it is a few hundred metres to the memorial to the victims of the massacre of 10 July 1941 and the Jewish cemetery on ul. Krasickiego – visit both to understand Jedwabne's history.