Churches & monasteries
In Olcza, the eastern part of Zakopane through which the Olczyski Potok stream flows, stands the Sanctuary of Our Lady Revealing the Miraculous Medal. The church is entirely a work of our times: the cornerstone, taken from the Tatra Mountains and blessed by John Paul II in Rome, was laid in 1985, and the church was consecrated on 30 July 1988.
The patronage of the church refers to the apparitions of 1830, when Mary appeared to Saint Catherine Labouré, a sister of the Daughters of Charity. She then ordered the striking and distribution of the medal according to the shown design, promising many graces to those who would wear it with confidence. The obverse of the medal shows Mary with arms outstretched radiating graces, while the reverse bears the letter M with a cross and two hearts — one crowned with thorns, the other pierced by a sword.
Olcza lies away from the busiest centre of Zakopane, in a district of single-family houses and numerous holiday homes, so a visit to the sanctuary is easily combined with a calm walk. The church is a reminder that sacral architecture of Podhale does not end with timber — here a modern church grows straight out of Tatra stone.
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