St Martin's Church in Lelów

Lelów was once a royal town guarding the northern approach to Kraków, and its parish church was founded by King Casimir the Great himself. St Martin's Church is today the Shrine of Our Lady of Consolation of Lelów – a Gothic church remodelled in the 17th century, burned by German troops in September 1939 and rebuilt after the war. Its story neatly sums up the history of the whole town.

History: a foundation of Casimir the Great

The church was built when Lelów was granted Magdeburg town rights and moved to a new site in 1341–1343. According to Poland's National Heritage Board, the Gothic single-nave church with its narrower chancel was completed before 1365; at first it was a daughter church of Staromieście and only became a parish church in 1598. Later generations kept adding chapels: the town's weavers funded the Daniel Chapel (now the Lady Chapel), the Bystrzanowski Chapel followed in the 15th century, and the Prasel Chapel around 1500.

The great town fire of 1638 and the Swedish invasion of 1655 badly damaged the church. Rebuilding around 1640 was supervised by the Italian architect Kasper Pontio a Camo: the wooden ceilings were replaced with barrel vaults and a four-storey tower was added on the west side.

September 1939

After fighting with soldiers of the Polish 7th Infantry Division and National Defence battalions, German troops set Lelów on fire, and the church with it. Residents were ordered to set the church alight; four men who refused were murdered, among them Ignacy Trenda, now a Servant of God (a candidate for beatification). An 18th-century crucifix survived and now hangs in the chancel. The miraculous image of Our Lady of Consolation was lost in the fire.

After 1945 the roofs and chancel vault were rebuilt, and the tower received a lantern-topped cupola modelled on the 17th-century original. A new image of Our Lady of Consolation was blessed in 1948, and on 24 June 1949 Bishop Czesław Kaczmarek of Kielce crowned it with crowns donated by pilgrims from Kraków. The church has been a shrine since 1960.

What to see

• The crucifix that survived the fire, in the chancel.
• The Daniel Chapel with its post-war altar and a copy of the image of Our Lady of Consolation of Lelów.
• The former provost's chapel with a dome on pendentives – burial place of its founder, Father A. Sowiński.
• Stone coats of arms: Doliwa and Łabędź on the tower and Leliwa on the nave wall.

Did you know?

• Devotion to Our Lady of Consolation in Lelów probably goes back to the 14th century; the image was kept by the Franciscans until their friary was dissolved in 1819 and then moved to the parish church.
• The church is listed in the heritage register under number A/887/2021.

Tripto tip

This is a working church at ul. Klasztorna 6, so the interior is easiest to see before or after Mass. Allow 15–20 minutes. Lelów lies on national road 46, about 43 km east of Częstochowa; you can park near the market square. Nearby is the ohel (tomb) of Tzadik David Biderman, which draws Hasidic pilgrims from around the world.