Sanctuary of Our Lady of Korbielów

The brick church with a red roof in the centre of Korbielów holds a painting that has travelled a long way: from Bohorodczany in Poland's former eastern borderlands, now in Ukraine, to this village below Pilsko. Since 1974 the image of the Virgin has hung here and is venerated as Our Lady of Korbielów.

The painting from Bohorodczany

In 1691 Konstancja Potocka founded a wooden church and a Dominican friary in Bohorodczany. The first mention of the painting of the Virgin dates from the same year. It was described as a canvas showing Mary in half-figure, with the Child on her left arm, a sceptre in her right hand and crowns on both heads, about 1.10 by 0.76 metres, and famed for graces. Its coronation was planned for 1941, but the war prevented it.

After the war the church in Bohorodczany was turned into a school and later a warehouse. The displaced Polish faithful took the painting with them, and it eventually came to the church in Korbielów, run by the Dominicans – the same order that had cared for it in the east. The parish of Our Lady Queen of Angels was established in 1993.

A copy goes home

In 2016 a faithful copy was made and sent to Bohorodczany. The church there, after years of use by the Orthodox Church, was returned to Catholics; the first Mass was celebrated on 12 July 2020. So today the same image can be seen in two countries.

Tripto tip

The church is on ul. Beskidzka, the main road through the village. You can see the painting when the church is open, before or after Mass. A visit takes 15–20 minutes. In the village centre, also look at the wooden chapel from the second half of the 19th century – one of Korbielów's few historic buildings.