For Przemyśl and the surrounding areas, the cult of holy images and relics is also one of the most significant elements of local colour. It is evidence of the the nature of religiosity of the local people. Most of the Przemyśl churches (not only the historical ones) are worthy of interest both due to their historical and artistic qualities, and also the interrelation of their history with the presence of saints - if not a direct one, at least with their cult.
The oldest of the preserved Przemyśl churches - the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. John the Baptist in Przemyśl is connected today with the cult of Saint Jack's Virgin Mary, Saint Józef Pelczar and Blessed Jan Balicki.
The construction of the present church began in 1460, in the place of a former Romanesque Saint Nicholas rotunda (its relics have been preserved under the presbytery of the Cathedral). The new Przemyśl cathedral, completed in 1559, represented the late Gothic style. In 1578, its structure was modified by adding a Renaissance chapel funded by the Przemyśl starost Jan Tomasz Drohojowski (at present, the Holy Sacrament Chapel). The entire cathedral underwent fundamental changes during the rebuilding initiated by the bishop Aleksander Antoni Fredro in 1724. In 1733, just before its completion, the vault collapsed and destroyed the majority of the former objects in the interior, including many tombs. The cathedral, rebuilt in the Baroque style, was consecrated again in 1744 by the bishop Hieronim Sierakowski.
The last thorough modification of the architectural structure of the cathedral was carried out from 1883 to 1913, at the time of bishops Lukasz Sołecki and Józef Sebastian Pelczar. During the conservation works led by Tomasz Pryliński and then Stanisław Majerski from Przemyśl, the presbytery and its items were given a Gothic Revival style. At that time, the remaining part of the interior of the cathedral was decorated in the Baroque Revival style.
In one of the Baroque Revival altars - below the right side of the rood beam, there is the alabaster figure of Saint Jack's Virgin Mary. According to the tradition, it was brought to Przemyśl by the Dominican missionary, Saint Jack Odrowąż, fleeing from Tatars from Kiev to Lvov. However, historians of art are of the opinion that the Madonna was created as late as in the 4th quarter of the 15th century in south Germany or in the Netherlands. Before the year 1786, that is, the year in which the figure was moved to the cathedral, as the priest Teofil Lękawski wrote, "our ancestors, humbling themselves before it in the Przemyśl Dominican church, were given God's grace". The figure was crowned in the cathedral in 1766 by the bishop Ignacy Krzyżanowski.
A place of particular interest in the Przemyśl cathedral is the late Baroque Fredro Chapel of the Holy Cross (1725-1730). What is astonishing about the chapel is not only its architecture, but also wall paintings in the cupola, created by Karol de Prevo, in 1731, as well as the sculpture works - the altar connected with the two-part tomb of the bishop Aleksander Antoni Fredro, made in the years 1736-1739 by Kazimierz Stachowski and Thomas Hutter. In this place, under the miraculous figure of Christ crucified (for which, among others, the chapel was erected), which is contained in the altar, the relics of the bishop Saint Józef Pelczar have been recently placed. Józef Pelczar (1842-1924) was a professor of the Jagiellonian University, a Przemyśl bishop and a devoted priest, famous for his scientific, educational and social activity He was a founder of the Congregation of Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. This bishop and scientist connected with Przemyśl was canonized by John Paul II on 18 May 2003.
The Baroque side altar of Saint Stanisław from about 1670-1973 in the eastern end of the southern nave of the cathedral, made of black marble from Dębnik, has recently become a place of cult of the blessed priest Jan Balicki (1869-1948). He was a modest priest and a rector of the Przemyśl Theological Seminary who became famous particularly as a tireless confessor and comforter in spiritual matters. The inscription on his reliquary in the altar antependium: "Lord, it is good that you humbled me, good" speaks for itself.
Another Przemyśl shrine with many centuries of history and high artistic and architectural value is the Franciscan church of Saint Mary Magdalene. The church existing at present - the third one in this place - was funded by the bishop Wacław Hieronim Sierakowski in the years 1754 - 1780 and designed by Walenty Haltman. It is thought to be one of the most precious and stylistically uniform monuments of rococo religious architecture in south-east Poland. Connoisseurs of art are attracted not only by the facade with two towers, ornamented with magnificent columns supporting the top with the characteristic shape. Other items of special interest include the original rococo wood-carved altar with many sculptured figures representing the highest standards of the so-called Lvov school of sculpture (created, among others, by Piotr Polejowski and Stefan Grodzicki) as well as the set of wall paintings by, among others, Tomasz Gertner and Józef Rybkiewicz.
This church is the place where, almost from the very beginning, the image of the Virgin Mary with Infant, created at the beginning of the 17th century, has been worshipped. Even before the official consecration of the new church, it was, during a splendid celebration, crowned by the bishop Dominik Piotr Karwosiecki (8 September 1777). The image, which was later named the Immaculate Lady of Przemyśl, was placed in the main altar, where it can be admired and adored until the present day.
On the other hand, in the altar of the chapel, which is an annex to the western nave of the Franciscan church, a special place was arranged for another worshipped image - also created in the 17th century - the image of Merciful Jesus Christ (Ecce Homo). In 1770 - as it is shown in the fresco in the eastern nave - it was given to the Franciscan friars by August Uliński, the starost of Podwysocze. The belief in the miraculous properties of this image was so strong that its copies, painted by Mikołaj Tereinski, were given as valuable souvenirs to the main donors of the monastery. One of these copies (nowadays in the chapel of the Reformate church in Przemyśl) became a worshipped image itself.
Judging by the copper, repousse gown, the image of Saint Vincent, created at the end of the 18th century, must have been popular as well. According to the tradition, the blind Marcin Wachowicz, praying in front of it, was miraculously cured. However, for the inhabitants of Przemyśl, the main object of cult of this 2nd-century martyr for the faith are his relics. The Przemyśl Franciscans have owned them since as early as the 16th century. The reliquary used at present was funded in the last quarter of the 18th century, at the time when the interior of the new church was being arranged.
There are stories about the miraculous saving of the city, connected with the relics of Saint Vincent. This took place for the first time in 1657, when the Transylvanians and Tatars besieging the city retreated from under the city walls on seeing a procession with the relics of this saint. Another time, its figure was to appear in the sky, warning the inhabitants of Przemyśl about the threat of fire in the city. Consequently, a celebration devoted to Saint Vincent - a patron of Przemyśl, held on the last Sunday of August, is also an official city celebration.
The newest of the historical churches of Przemyśl and also a place where holy relics are kept is the Salesian Church of Saint Joseph. This Gothic Revival building was erected in the years 1912-1925 following the design of Mario Ceradini. It was dedicated in 1923 by the bishop Pelczar and consecrated in 1927 by the bishop Anatol Nowak. Although its architecture, interior and paintings (everything being thoroughly renovated at the moment) were designed by an Italian, Mario Ceradini, what makes this church beautiful are the references to Polish architecture. The church tower is evidently similar to one of the towers of Saint Mary's Church in Cracow.
In 1964, it became the place of eternal rest of relics of the priest August Czartoryski (1858-1893), a respected clergyman, one of the pioneers of Salesian social undertakings in Poland, which had been brought from Sieniawa. On 25 April 2004 he was declared beatified whilst, on 3 October of the same year, during a thanksgiving devotion, his relics were moved to the side altar of Mary Help of Christians (following the old custom, they were placed in the antependium). The pastoral and social activity of the priest August Czartoryski is represented in the wall painting in the church sacristy, presenting him in front of the Basilica of our Lady Help of Christians in Turin and the Salesian Establishment in Oświęcim (from where, by the work of the bishop Pelczar, the Salesians came to Przemyśl).
Like the city of Przemyśl, its surrounding areas also abound with the places of cult, visited by pilgrims. Undoubtedly, the most important of them is the Shrine of the Suffering of Jesus in Kalwaria Pacławska (about 25 km to the south of Przemyśl).
The present-day, the late Baroque Church of the Finding of the Holy Cross was erected in the years 1770-1775, funded by the Przemyśl cup-bearer Szczepan Józef Dwernicki. The church which had existed in this place, funded around 1668 by Andrzej Maksymilian Fredro, had fallen into ruin in the middle of the 18th century. The structure of the new church has survived almost unchanged, which, unfortunately, cannot be said about the interior. The church was damaged by fire several times (among others, in 1855 and 1862). Fortunately, these fires did not destroy the most important object of cult, which has been housed here from 1679.
Namely the Virgin Mary with Infant - Queen of the World, commonly referred to as the Mother of God of Kalwaria, which is famous for its miraculous properties,. This 17th century work of art of an unknown artist originally decorated the Franciscan church in Kamieniec Podolski. After this fortress, located in the eastern borderline territory, was seized by the Turks, the image was either hidden and then moved secretly to Kalwaria Pacławska or robbed by them and sold to Andrzej Maksymilian Fredro. Another story says that the image, profaned by the Muslims (thrown into the river) was miraculously found by a religious elderly man due to a revelation of the Mother of God herself. Mary pointed out Kalwaria as the place where she wished to stay. It is a fact that the image was worshipped in Kalwaria as early as at the end of the 17th century by local inhabitants and pilgrims, and various miraculous events were attributed to it. On 15 August 1882 it was crowned by the Przemyśl bishop Lukasz Ostoja Sołecki.
The popularity of this miraculous image determined the Marian character of the Kalwaria shrine, which had been originally planned as the place of contemplation of the Passion. However, out of the indulgences celebrated here, on the occasion of: the Finding of the Holy Cross (2-3 May), Exaltation of the Holy Cross (13-14 September) and the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, only the last one attracts crowds of people. Nevertheless, numerous wayside shrines corresponding to the Stations of the Cross, place the Kalwaria Pacławska shrine among the most important objects of such a type in Poland. Suffice to say that, along the so-called Kalwaria paths in their present shape, located in an area of about 1600 m (among the villages Huwniki, Sierakośce and Nowosiółki Dydyńskie) there are 35 masonry shrines and 5 figures, built in the years 1825-1875.
Text: Janusz Polaczek