Początki sanktuarium Matki Bożej w Leżajsku

The origins of the Sanctuary of the Holy Virgin Mary in Leżajsk

Summary: Marian cult in Polish society has played an important role in shaping national religiousness. It has also become an important element of Polish culture. Numerous sanctuaries, where pictures or figures of Madonna were worshipped were the visual realisation of this cult. Leżajsk is one of such places. The aim of this article is to present the origins of the Sanctuary of Leżajsk and its close connections with the town of Leżajsk. The investigations were based on the oldest available source materials. In the first part, the author presents the development of the town of Leżajsk and its social life since 1397, i.e. the location. The second part is devoted to the history of the revelations, which took place in the Leżajsk forest. It starts with the year 1590, when Tomasz Michałek saw Madonna in the forest and ends in the year 1608, when the Bernardine monks took over the site as their foundation. The Author's intention was to present all stages of the development of Marian cult and the sanctuary itself. Those were: the revelation of Madonna to Tomasz Michałek, a local brewery worker; the erection of the cross with the figure of Christ at the site of the revelation and the construction of a chapel under the invocation of St.Anne, which was later replaced with a wooden church. Several wonders were described and public feelings towards the Sanctuary of Leżajsk were discussed.

Peregrinus Cracoviensis, 1999, z.7, s. 13-26.

Instytut Geografii i Gospodarki Przestrzennej UJ

ISSN 1425-1922

Pełny tekst (76 KB)