Churches & monasteries

Sanctuary of Czerna

In the Eliaszówka Valley, near Krzeszowice in the Lesser Poland commune of Krzeszowice, hides a baroque hermitage — the monastic retreat of the Discalced Carmelites. The foundation of 1629 we owe to Agnieszka Firlej née Tęczyńska, buried in the local sanctuary. As early as 1640 the church of the Prophet Elijah was consecrated, and today the monastery serves as a double sanctuary of Our Lady of the Scapular and Saint Raphael Kalinowski.

The church of the hermits

The church is oriented, with a transept, presbytery and nave. The high altar holds a painting of the biblical prophet Elijah in the desert, painted by the court painter of King Władysław IV — Elijah is venerated here as the patron of the whole hermitage. Behind the high altar, in the extension of the presbytery, lies an internal chapel, the monastic choir, a place of prayer of the friars; above its entrance one can see a picture of Our Lady covering the Carmelite friars and nuns with her mantle of protection.

In practice

The journey from Krzeszowice takes about a quarter of an hour, and the visit is best combined with a walk in the Eliaszówka Valley. The monastery walls and the hermit character of the place impress at any time of year, and the sanctuary joins the heritage of the Carmelite reform with the cult of two titles — the scapular and Saint Raphael Kalinowski.