Sanctuary of the Dying Lord Jesus in Pacanów

Pacanów is best known for the cartoon goat Koziołek Matołek, but the little town also has one of the oldest church pedigrees in Poland. The Basilica of St Martin – also the Sanctuary of the Dying Lord Jesus – stands on the site of a church founded in the early 12th century. Its foundation charter is regarded as the oldest known document of its kind for a village church. Pilgrims come for the crucifix, whose chapel survived three fires that destroyed the rest of the church.

History: from Bishop Maurus to a basilica

The church was founded in 1109–1118 by Maurus, Bishop of Kraków, at the request of the knight Siemian of the Niegodzic family. The bishop consecrated it to St Martin and endowed it with tithes from nearby villages. The charter does not survive in the original; it is known from a copy made by Bishop Iwo Odrowąż on 15 August 1219. Historians consider it authentic and the oldest document issued by a Polish issuer for a Polish recipient. A curiosity: the name Pacanów does not appear in the text at all.

In 1265 Pacanów received town rights from Bolesław the Chaste. In 1610 the Voivode of Kraków, Mikołaj Zebrzydowski, funded the Chapel of St Anne. Devotion to the cross began in 1615, when a figure of the crucified Christ was brought from a burnt hospital church and Friday services began. In 1633 the Chapel of the Lord Jesus was added on the south side.

A chapel that survived three fires

The church burned in 1657 during the Swedish Deluge, in 1906, and in 1944 during the fighting of the Second World War. Each time the fire destroyed most of the building, the chapel with the miraculous crucifix survived. Rebuilding after the 1906 fire lasted until 1935, and after the war Father Adam Adamek led the work until his death in 1958. In 2008 Pope Benedict XVI raised the church to the rank of minor basilica.

What to see

• The Chapel of the Lord Jesus of 1633 – late Renaissance, with a Baroque altar and the crucifix surrounded by votive offerings. The cross is unveiled before every morning Mass and covered after the evening one.
• The Chapel of St Anne of 1610.
• The Stations of the Cross painted by Professor Maciej Makarewicz and the 20-stop organ of 1960.
• The memorial book of pilgrims' petitions and thanks, and the Book of Abstinence.

Tripto tips

• Hours: according to the sanctuary website the church opens at 6:15 and closes at 19:00; visits are possible outside services (as of October 2026).
• The indulgence feast of the Holy Cross lasts about two weeks in September and draws organised pilgrimages – the busiest time in Pacanów.
• Next to the church is a Pilgrims' House where you can rest and eat your own food.
• The church takes 30–45 minutes; combine it with the European Fairy Tale Centre, a nod to the Polish saying that "in Pacanów they shoe goats".