Holy Trinity and St Anthony the Abbot Church in Łopuszna

The wooden Church of the Holy Trinity and St Anthony the Abbot in Łopuszna (Nowy Targ municipality) is a late-Gothic building from the last decade of the 15th century, consecrated in 1504. It stands by the Dunajec river, where the Czerwonka stream flows in, next to the Tetmajer manor house. Its greatest treasure is a Gothic triptych from around 1460, and the church is also closely linked with the priest and philosopher Józef Tischner.

History

The first church was probably built after the village was chartered in 1364 – a rector "ecclesiae in Lopuszno" is recorded as early as 1400. The present church was built of fir in log construction in the last decade of the 15th century. In 1504 Bishop Jan Konarski of Kraków consecrated it under a long dedication: the Holy Trinity, the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, St Stanislaus and St Anthony the Abbot. Around 1600 a tower of post-and-frame construction was added.

The parish was small and poor: in 1529 the tithe due to the bishop came to just 16 groschen, and in 1596 it was abolished and merged with Ostrowsko; it was not restored until 1792. Standing on frequently flooded ground, the church was repaired many times. Alterations in 1932 and after the flood of 1934–1935 destroyed the original pointed-arch portals, and after another flood in 1997 the church underwent thorough conservation in 2005–2006.

What to see

• The triptych on the high altar (c. 1460) – regarded as one of the most valuable and best-preserved 15th-century sculptural works in Lesser Poland. The centre shows the Coronation of the Virgin by the Holy Trinity, the wings include St Anthony the Hermit and St Francis of Assisi, and the reverse shows the Annunciation.
• Fragments of 16th-century stencilled painting on the choir parapet and boards from the former ceilings; the current paintings date from 1935.
• Bells – the oldest from 1540, inscribed "Ave Maria Gracia [Ple]na", a second from 1732 with the Wieniawa coat of arms, and a third from 2006 dedicated to John Paul II.
• A Lenten veil from 1753 showing the procession to Calvary; a second one, depicting the Flagellation, was found in 2016 in an attic next to the presbytery.
• The building – a steep shingled roof, a tower with a pyramid roof, an external arcade along the north wall and a fence with a gate in the Zakopane style.

Father Tischner and Łopuszna

Józef Tischner celebrated his first Mass here on 10 July 1955, and on 2 July 2000 his funeral Mass was held in Łopuszna, led by Cardinal Franciszek Macharski. The philosopher wrote of the church as a "place of silence" that every generation since the 15th century had protected from wind and water.

Tripto tips

• Visiting: this is a working parish church; outside services the interior may be closed, so arrange details with the parish.
• Getting there: Łopuszna lies on regional road 969 from Nowy Targ to Krościenko.
• Combine with: the Tetmajer manor next to the church and other churches on the Wooden Architecture Route, such as the one in Dębno Podhalańskie.