The National Shrine of St. Joseph in Kalisz - Collegiate Basilica of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Information about the pilgrimage site

The history of this temple dates back to the turn of the 13th and 14th centuries, when, being a small wooden building, it became a parish church. In 1359, Archbishop Jarosław Bogoria Skotnicki gave it the title of collegiate, at the same time founding a new brick church on the site of the wooden building. It survived in its Gothic form for almost four centuries. In 1783, as a result of a building disaster, much of the church and its furnishings were destroyed. Thanks to the efforts of the then parish priest, Fr Stanisław Kłossowski, the building was soon rebuilt. A Baroque building was created, extended by one bay and enriched with a tower. What remains of the former church is, among other things, the late Gothic stellar vaulting of the presbytery. The most interesting elements of the collegiate church furnishings are the Gothic cupboard altar in the left nave – the so-called Kalisz polyptych by the master from Gościszowice, as well as the Gothic pieta and the classicist main altar with figures of the Evangelists and a copy of the 15th century painting of the Virgin Mary Ab igne (from fire). The presbytery also features richly carved stalls, a Marian polychrome painting and a papal throne, while the main nave has a late-Baroque pulpit full of symbolism. The Basilica’s treasury also contains a Romanesque paten from the 12th century and a Gothic chalice – a gift from Casimir the Great.

However, the greatest magnet, attracting more than 200,000 pilgrims a year to the shrine, is the miraculous image of the Holy Family, located in the Chapel of St Joseph. Its creation and subsequent veneration is linked to numerous miracles. In the 17th century painting, the divine triad is combined with the earthly triad. Numerous thanksgiving votive offerings and silver dresses and crowns covering the figures in the painting testify to the graces received through the intercession of St Joseph “of Kalisz”. The most spectacular example of the intercession of the saint from the Kalisz image is the miraculous rescue in the Dachau camp of priests who, out of gratitude, founded a chapel and a small exhibition of camp memorabilia in the basement of the church. More information at https://www.kalisz.pl/dla-turysty/zabytki/narodowe-sanktuarium-sw-jozefa,267 .

Tourist attractions in the vicinity

St. Nicholas the Bishop Cathedral – the church, which is one of the most important monuments in Kalisz, was built between 1253 and 1257 in Gothic style with the foundation of Boleslaw the Pious. It used to house a painting by Peter Paul Rubens entitled The Deposition from the Cross, before it was stolen. The building consists of three naves, a tower and a chapel in neo-Gothic style, distinguished by beautiful paintings and stained-glass windows by Włodzimierz Tetmajer. In 1992, Pope John Paul named the church the cathedral of the diocese of Kalisz. This is a must-see for lovers of the Polish poet and novelist of the realist period Maria Konopnicka, as she got married in this cathedral. For more information visit:http://www.katedra.kalisz.pl/.

Kalisz Town Hall – from the tower of the Town Hall, which is over 50 metres high, you can admire a magnificent panorama of Kalisz. At the same time, it is worth noting the perfectly preserved clock mechanism assembled by the famous Kalisz clockmaker R. W. Stilter. In the Town Hall’s patio, you can admire the 19th-century statue of Flora, relocated from the Municipal Park, where its copy currently stands. Inside the Town Hall you will also find models depicting the appearance of present and non-existent buildings related to the city’s history, as well as a panorama depicting the appearance of Kalisz at the turn of the 17th and 18th centuries. For more information visithttps://www.kalisz.info/ratusz.html .

Archaeological Reserve at Zawodzie – an archaeological reserve documenting the history of archaeological research carried out on the site of an early medieval castle. Visitors can see a partially reconstructed castle, a rampart, wooden dwellings, and the reconstructed basement of St. Paul’s Collegiate Church.

Maria Dąbrowska’s manor house in Russów – the place where the famous writer was born and lived until her youth. Russów is depicted in her works, such as in: “Noce i dnie”, “Ludzie stamtąd” or “Nasz dom”. After the writer’s death, the reconstructed manor house was turned into the Maria Dąbrowska Museum, where you can see what the writer’s maiden room, father’s room, living room, manor kitchen and bedroom looked like. One room is dedicated to the film adaptation of “Nights and Days”, with costumes, photographs, etc. The manor house in Russów is surrounded by a picturesque park, where a small Ethnographic Open Air Museum has now been established with valuable wooden objects from the Kalisz region. For more information visit https://www.muzeumwkaliszu.pl/dworek-marii-dabrowskiej-w-russowie.html.

Gołuchów – a palace and park complex from the 16th century. The Gołuchów castle was rebuilt three times; its interiors now house a museum presenting partially recovered works of art collected by Izabella Czartoryska and looted by the Nazis during World War II. The castle is surrounded by a beautiful English-style park. One of its biggest attractions is the Show Animal Farm, home to bison, Polish ponies, fallow deer and wild boar. The Forestry Museum is also worth a visit. For more information visit https://mnp.art.pl/muzeum-zamek-w-goluchowie.

Other tourist attractions near the pilgrimage site can be found on the website of the Tourist Information Centre in Kalisz: https://www.kalisz.pl/.