St George's Church in Goczałkowice-Zdrój

For more than two centuries the church in Goczałkowice was in Protestant hands: in 1569 Baron Karl von Promnitz, lord of Pszczyna (Pless), declared his whole estate Lutheran, and an independent Catholic parish was only restored in 1797. Today's brick church on ul. Główna was built in 1909–1910 after the wooden church burned down, and its high altar was recently recreated from an old photograph.

History: from a wooden church to Baroque revival

Goczałkowice originally belonged to the parish of Pszczyna. A separate parish was created in 1444, probably around a small church of St Adalbert. Around 1534 a wooden church was built and dedicated to both St Adalbert and St George – shingle-roofed, with a free-standing bell tower and two bells. A visitation in November 1598, the first in the Pszczyna deanery after the Council of Trent, recorded that the church was in Protestant hands.

The wooden church burned down in 1908 – sources give different dates: 7 September or 8 October. In 1909–1910 a brick church in Baroque style was built on the site, designed by Ludwik Szneider; the builder was Paweł Swoboda, and the furnishings were designed by Folka of Pawłowice. The church was blessed on 15 December 1910 but not consecrated until 10 September 1929.

What to see

In 2012–2013 the interior was thoroughly renovated under the supervision of the chief conservator of the Castle Museum in Pszczyna. The most striking result is the high altar, reconstructed from scratch on the basis of an old photograph. Also look out for:

• the richly decorated chancel, remodelled during the renovation,
• the coffered ceiling and painted arches,
• the church's silhouette, with an onion-domed tower and a smaller turret above the nave – easy to see from ul. Główna.

The parish has other churches too: the Chapel of Our Lady, Healer of the Sick, from 1866, the small brick Church of St Anne from 1883, which replaced a wooden one, and the convent and chapel of the Salvatorian Sisters from 1935.

A church in a spa town

Goczałkowice became a spa after brine was struck during a search for salt in the 19th century – the first spa season opened in June 1862. So St George's has roots older than the resort itself, and a walk from the church to the spa quarter shows both sides of the village.

Tripto tip

The church is at ul. Główna 50. The easiest way to see the interior is around Mass – on weekdays at 7:00 and 18:00, on Sundays including 9:00 and 11:00; the parish website has the current schedule. Allow 20–30 minutes. The parish feast falls on the Sunday after 23 April, St George's Day. A visit combines well with a stroll around the spa quarter and a trip to Pszczyna Castle.