St Catherine of Alexandria Church in Węglewo

The timber church of St Catherine of Alexandria in Węglewo, about 4 km north of Pobiedziska, is the youngest church on the Wooden Churches Trail around the Zielonka Forest – it has stood since 1818. Paradoxically it holds the oldest treasure on the whole route: a Gothic crucifix from around 1380–1390, and its parish is the oldest of the twelve on the trail.

History: from the 1266 charter

In the Middle Ages Węglewo belonged to the castellany on Ostrów Lednicki. In 1266 Duke Bolesław the Pious granted the village a charter under Środa law and obliged the village head to build a church. Records of the Gniezno consistory speak of an "ancient", always wooden church in this royal village. The building was patched up many times: in 1766 it was braced with iron clamps, and in 1811 a visiting official noted that it was so dilapidated that it had been sealed for fear it would collapse on the congregation. The new church was built in 1818 on a different site, paid for by the parishioners and the Royal Treasury, and it was renovated in 1854, 1960, 1980 and 1996.

During the Second World War the church was closed, some villagers were deported, and the parish priest, Fr Walenty Panek, was sent to a concentration camp. In 1991 the parish celebrated the 725th anniversary of the village charter with Primate Józef Glemp.

What to see

• The post-and-plank (sumikowo-łątkowa) construction, rare in Greater Poland, with a rectangular nave, a three-sided chancel and a shingled roof. The small bell turret was added in 1901; there has never been a tower, and the bells hang in a new belfry.
• The Gothic crucifix on the rood beam, flanked by Baroque figures of Mary and St John.
• The painting of the Virgin and Child in the high altar, dating from the time of construction, known as Our Lady of the Island or Our Lady of Węglewo, in a carved silver-plated robe. It is normally covered by a painting of St Lawrence from around 1818, and two angels, possibly from the first half of the 17th century, stand at the sides.
• The image of St Catherine from the mid-18th century, to the left of the high altar.

Did you know

In the churchyard, opposite the entrance, is the grave of Elżbieta and Stanisław Kostrzewski – parents of Józef Kostrzewski, the pioneer of Polish archaeology, who was born in Węglewo on 25 February 1885. From 1934 he led the systematic excavations at Biskupin. A copy of Węglewo's revered painting hangs in St Anne's Church at the Greater Poland Ethnographic Park in Dziekanowice, which was moved there from Wartkowice in 1985.

Tripto tips

• The church is in active use and entry is free. The easiest time to see the interior is just before or after Mass. The parish website lists Sunday Masses at 8:30 and 11:00 and weekday Mass at 18:00 (17:00 in winter), but that entry is more than a decade old – call before you go: +48 61 817 70 08.
• 20–30 minutes is enough for a visit. Address: Węglewo 23, 62-010 Pobiedziska; the village lies on the Piast Route, about 30 km from Poznań.
• Nearby: Ostrów Lednicki, the open-air museum in Dziekanowice and the other churches on the Zielonka Forest trail.