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The Former Benedictine Monastery on Święty Krzyż Mountain
Situated in the eastern part of the Łysogóry
Mountains, the highest range of the
Świętokrzyskie Mountains, the former
Benedictine monastery on Święty Krzyż
(literally Holy Cross) Mount, thanks to its
historical and religious value, is a monument
of particular significance for Polish
culture and national heritage. Benedictine
tradition, as recorded by Polish chronicler
Jan Długosz, attributes the foundation
of the abbey to Boleslaus the Brave in 1006.
Contemporary historians postpone the date
of the monastery’s foundation to the first
half of the 12th century, during the reign
of Prince Boleslaus the Wrymouth. At the
beginning of the 14th century, the relics
of the Holy Cross were donated to the abbey,
making this place the most important and
oldest sanctuary on Polish soil, as well as
a pilgrimage destination for both Polish
rulers and common people.
For centuries, the Święty Krzyż Abbey
has promoted spiritual and intellectual
culture, priding itself on one of the most
magnificent libraries in Poland. It was in
a 15th-century codex kept here that the
famous Kazania Świętokrzyskie [The Holy
Cross Sermons], the oldest relic of Polish
writing, was discovered.
The Benedictines of Święty Krzyż Mount
led a lively pastoral activity, developed
education and were involved in herbal
medicine. The glorious history of the abbey
was interrupted by its dissolution in 1819.
The priceless collections and equipment were
taken away and looted, and the monastery
buildings began to fall into ruin. Another blow
to the abbey was the establishment of a strict
regime prison within its walls by Russia, one
of the partitioning powers. It survived until
the Second Republic of Poland. In 1936, the
Oblate Missionaries of Mary Immaculate
arrived at Święty Krzyż and undertook
the effort to rebuild the church and the
monastery premises. The work was interrupted
by the outbreak of the Second World War. The monastery was bombed and
the German occupiers set up a prisonerof-
war camp in the prison buildings. After
the war, the work of reconstruction was
restarted.
Today, the Sanctuary of the Relics of the
Holy Cross attracts almost 300,000 pilgrims
and tourists annually. In addition to
pastoral activities, its walls host scientific
symposia, concerts, occasional exhibitions
and meetings. In 2017, the site was awarded
the honourable title of ‘Monument
of History’.
Fr. Krzysztof Jamrozy OMI