St Mary Magdalene's Church in Długa Goślina

St Mary Magdalene's Church in Długa Goślina is a wooden church from the early 17th century on the northern edge of the Zielonka Forest, in the municipality of Murowana Goślina. It belongs to the trail of wooden churches around the Zielonka Forest, and its interior holds reminders of the Benedictine nuns of Poznań, for whom the village was a refuge from epidemics. The most striking piece is a 17th-century sculpture of Christ as the Man of Sorrows.

History: a 14th-century parish and a Benedictine village

The parish dates back to 1325; the earlier church was dedicated to St Odile. The present church was built in the first quarter of the 17th century – around 1600 – and consecrated between 1607 and 1616. In 1621 Długa Goślina and Łoskoń were bought by the Benedictine nuns of Poznań. The village became a safe haven for them, especially during the epidemics that struck Poznań.

In the early 18th century a tower with a Baroque cupola and a west porch were added. Before 1778 the old sacristy was demolished and a new one built on the east side, followed by another on the south side in 1930. The church was restored in 1946–1949, 1972, 1995–1996 and 2016–2019. The choice of patron is telling: St Mary Magdalene was chosen in 1918, the year Poland regained independence.

What to see

• The building – a log-built, weatherboarded, east-facing church with a narrower, square-ended chancel under a shared shingle roof.
• Christ as the Man of Sorrows ("Vir dolorum") from the 17th century – crowned with thorns, his side pierced, yet alive and without any symbolism of resurrection. It is most likely linked to the Benedictine nuns.
• A small painting in the predella of a side altar showing St Benedict's life as a hermit, with the monk Romanus secretly lowering food to him on a rope.
• A painting of St Mary Magdalene funded by the local lady of the manor as a votive offering for Poland's independence.
• The crucifix on the rood beam – sources date it to the 16th or 17th century.
• Side altars assembled from 17th- and 18th-century elements.

Masses and visiting

This is an active parish church. According to the parish website, Masses in Długa Goślina are held on Sundays at 8:00 and 12:00, on Saturdays at 19:00 and on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 18:00. The interior is easiest to see during or just after a service. The parish office is open on Wednesdays 16:00–17:00 and Saturdays 9:00–10:00 (Długa Goślina 24, tel. 533 829 361). The patronal feast falls on 22 July.

Tripto tips

• Time needed: 20–30 minutes is enough for the church and its surroundings.
• Getting there: Długa Goślina lies north of Murowana Goślina; you can park by the church.
• By bike: the church fits easily into a ride through the Zielonka Forest and along the wooden church trail – Lake Kamińskie with its bathing area in Kamińsko is nearby.