Church of St. James the Apostle and St. Catherine of Siena

Identifier

DZIELO/14090

Amount

1

Catalogue note author

Paulina Kluz

History of work

The first church in Raciechowice was described in visitation records from 1596 as a wooden church. The furnishings included a crucifix on a chancel arch, three altars and a wooden baptismal font. Documents from 1618 mentioned also the bell tower with two bells and, in 1655, the pulpit. According to the visitation records of 1665, the church had a crucifix on a chancel arch, an organ loft, a pulpit on the gospel side, three altars, including one side collateral altar and a stone baptismal font in the middle of the church. The present parish church of St. James the Great and St. Catherine of Alexandria in Raciechowice was built in 1720 thanks to financial support of unidentified benefactors. In the structure of the new building the chancel dated back to the 17th century from the former temple was preserved. In the visitation records from 1730 it was indicated that the church had not been consecrated yet, it had a stone floor, new formwork, a bell tower, and arcatures around. The furnishings included three altars, the high altar with the painting of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the right side altar of St. Francis Seraphicus and the left side altar of St. Sebastian, an organ loft and eight-tone church organs, a marble baptismal font, and two confessionals in the bell tower. The temple was consecrated by Michał Kunicki on November 1, 1747. A more detailed description of the church can be found in the visitation records from 1748. According to them, the church had an additional bell tower and portico built from the west side, the roof and rafter framing were completed, the church had ridge turret and four windows. Inside, there was a new organ loft with repaired organs and new tones, a crucifix on the chancel arch, a pulpit on the right, three confessionals and a stone baptismal font with a cover portraying the Baptism of Christ. The number of altars in the church was increased by the newly installed reredos of Christ Crucified. In 1779 Antoni and Ignacy Kornecki made new furnishings for the church (one high altar and two side altars). In 1899-1904 the temple was thoroughly rebuilt. As part of the works, the tower was pulled down and the main nave was extended in its place, whereas from the West, a vestibule with a bell deck was added. At the beginning of the 20th century polychrome figures and ornaments were made inside of the temple. The church was renovated in 1969, 1981 and 2003-2004.

Abstract

The present parish church of St. James the Great and St. Catherine of Alexandria in Raciechowice was built in 1720 thanks to financial support of unidentified benefactors. In the structure of the new building the chancel dated back to the 17th century from the former temple was preserved. It was consecrated by Michał Kunicki on 1 November 1747. In 1899-1904 the temple was thoroughly rebuilt. As part of the works, the tower was pulled down and the main nave was extended in its place, whereas from the West, a vestibule with a bell deck was added. The church in Raciechowice refers to the traditional one-nave solution, with a wider nave and narrower chancel. The bell tower, formerly added to the temple's main body, was characteristic of the 18th century, even though it appeared relatively rarely. The alteration of the temple at the turn of the 19th and 20th century erased its real mass as due to the extension of the nave and the removal of the tower facade the proportions and accents of the building changed.