Church of Our Lady of Consolation in Kraków

The Church of Our Lady of Consolation stands in Bieńczyce, in the Nowa Huta district, at ulica Bulwarowa 15a. It is one of the newest churches in Kraków, built on the plan of a fish.

When the parish and church were established

The parish was established on 29 August 1999 by Cardinal Franciszek Macharski, who entrusted it to the Pallottines.

Construction of the church began on 5 November 2001, and the church was consecrated in June 2022 by the Metropolitan of Kraków.

The fish shape and the interior

The church has an unusual plan: instead of a Latin or Greek cross, the building refers to a fish, one of the earliest Christian symbols.

The church was designed by Witold Cęckiewicz, and the interior by Jolanta Kłosowska. The high altar holds a copy of the painting of Our Lady of Consolation from Pasierbiec. The original was painted by a folk artist and funded by Jan Matras, a soldier in the Austrian army, as a votive offering for saving his life in the battle of Rastatt in 1793. He fulfilled his vow in 1822 by building a chapel in Pasierbiec.

In front of the church

In front of the church stands a bench monument to Cardinal Franciszek Macharski, unveiled on 7 August 2022, designed by Mieszko Tylka, a professor at the Kraków Academy of Fine Arts.

Since 2010 a tall cross has also stood here, which comes from the altar built on the Błonia for the sixth pilgrimage of John Paul II to Poland in 1997.

Nearby

About 700 m from the church is the People's Theatre in Kraków, and the Polish Aviation Museum lies about 3.6 km away as the crow flies.

Practical information

• Address: ul. Bulwarowa 15a, Kraków-Bieńczyce (Nowa Huta).
• Check Mass times and visiting hours in the parish announcements; silence is required during services.