The Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Wola Batorska.

Identifier

DZIELO/12631

Catalogue note author

Maria Działo

History of work

The church was built in 1936-1938, however in 1912, father Józef Mazurek, the then vicar of Niepołomice began to prepare land for a chapel or church. Donations for the construction were made mostly by the inhabitants who went to work in Germany or Denmark. Nevertheless, the collected amount underwent hyperinflation in 1918, thus it amounted to 65 groszy (grosz is a Polish monetary unit). The intention to build a the chapel in Wola Batorska was taken by father Jan Małysik, another vicar of Niepołomice. However, the collection of the required amount was interrupted by the transfer of the vicar to another parish. The third collection started in 1935, when father Konstanty Łabędź was the parish priest of Niepołomice. During the preparation for the construction works it was stated that instead of building a chapel it would be more beneficial to build a church and establish a parish in Wola Batorska, which with the consent of Cardinal Adam Sapieha was established on 24 August 1936. The first parochial vicar was father Andrzej Kiełboń, vicar of Niepołomice. The construction of the church began in May, 1936. On 2 May 1936, the cross that remained on the construction site was consecrated and the foundations were outlined. The first days of the works are described in detail in the parish chronicle: "On May 4, 1936, the parishioners started digging the foundations of the church for free, which were dug up in three days. On the fourth day, laying of the concrete was commenced. The work with concrete lasted two weeks, so that the foundations of the church were completed. (...) The masonry works manager was masonry foreman of the parish in Niepołomice Julian Gorczyński from Jazy. The following bricklayers were occupied with the construction of the church: 1) Jeleń Michał from Wola Batorska - the foreman's right hand. 2) Jeleń Franciszek from Jazy, the parish in Niepołomice. 3) Józef Kudła from Jazy. 4) Julian Gorczyński from Jazy". On 21 June, bishop Stanisław Rospond consecrated the foundation stone. The design of the church was developed by an architect Jan Franciszek Stobnicki of Cracow, who also managed its construction. In 1936, the church was roofed, and, in 1937, new stained glass windows, designed by Zygmunt Wierusz Kowalski and created in the workshop of Tadeusz Wilkosz of Cracow, were installed in the temple. The parish was established on 1 December 1938. The inventory of the church from 1941 includes two altars: the high altar and a side altar in the chapel on the left side with the painting of Our Lady of the Rosary. In the years 1983-1984, a bell tower was built and the bells from the company of Jan Felczyński from Przemyśl were placed in it. In August 1985, painting of the church began according to the design of Bolesław Oleszko - an associate professor at the Academy of Fine Arts in Cracow. The high altar and pulpit were renovated in the same year. The Church was consecrated on 29 June 2014 by father Cardinal Stanisław Dziwisz. The ceremony was conducted by the cardinal together with the dean of the Niepołomice deanery - father Stanisław Mika and the parish priest - father Wojciech Guzik. The keepsake of this event are: for "zacheuszki" (apostolic crosses) on the walls of the church, reliquary of holy martyrs Felix and Prosper built in the wall under the altar mensa and silver chalice - a gift from Cardinal Dziwisz.

Abstract

The church was built in 1936-1938. The first vicar of the parish was father Andrzej Kiełboń, vicar of Niepołomice. The design of the church was developed by an architect Jan Franciszek Stobnicki of Cracow, who also managed its construction. In 1936, the church was roofed, and, in 1937, new stained glass windows, designed by Zygmunt Wierusz Kowalski and created in the workshop of Tadeusz Wilkosz of Cracow, were installed in the temple. The parish was founded on 1st December 1938. The church was consecrated by cardinal Stanisław Dziwisz on June 29, 2014. The temple is a small building made in neo-gothic style on a traditional plan of Latin cross, finished with polygonal apse of ogivally closed windows, separated with buttresses from the outside. The high altar comes from 1948. Its author is a well-knon sculptor, Wojciech Maciejowski. Similarly to the architecture of the temple, the altar was made in a neo-gothic tradition. In a triaxial reredos elements were placed which are applied in gothic architecture such as towers finished with pinnacles, finials and crockets, pointed archs or traceries that decorate them. In the main area of the altar, there is a painting of Our Lady of Perpetual Help from Toruń, created in 1950. Probably the sculptor is also the author of the pulpit and the baptismal font.