St. Lawrence Church in Nowa Słupia

At the foot of Łysa Góra, in the small town on the road leading to Święty Krzyż, stands the stone church of St Lawrence — a witness to seven centuries of the Holy Cross Mountains. The parish is first mentioned in a Peter's pence register from 1326; at that time a wooden church, subordinate to the parish church of Stara Słupia, stood here.

From the Tatars to the Deluge

The first church was devastated by the Tatars during the raids of 1500 and 1502. The next blow came in 1656, when the wooden church burned down, set on fire by the troops of George II Rákóczi. The rebuilding was undertaken by the Benedictine Fr Maciej Sekulski — the new, single-nave church was built of stone, and on 23 May 1678 an independent parish was erected. In 1960 the church was extended with two side aisles thanks to the parish priest S. Gruszka.

Keepsakes from Święty Krzyż

The 18th-century high altar is made of local Chęciny marble and carved with the figure of the crucified Christ; it is crowned by an 18th-century painting of St Lawrence. The church grounds are entered through a wrought-iron gate from the 17th century, brought from Święty Krzyż after the dissolution of the monastery there. The church also keeps relics of St John Paul II.

Practical information

The church stands on the road leading to Święty Krzyż, so it is easiest to visit on the way to the Łysa Góra trail. As a parish church it is open during services; by the wall you will see the historic wrought-iron gate.