Sanctuary of Our Lady of Ludzmierz

Sanktuarium Maryjne w Ludźmierzu, Ludźmierz, Poljska

Website of the Sanctuary

+48 18 26 555 27 15

Every day from 6.00 am do 7.00 pm

Sanctuary of Our Lady of Ludzmierz 

One of the key figures for the Marian cult in ludzmierz was Karol Wojtyła, who used to come here to pray on many occasions. The most important church fair is celebrated on 14 and 15 August (the festival of the Assumption of Mary).The figure of God’s Queen Mother of Podhale was donated to the church in Ludźmierz around 1400. Legend has it that the donation came from a merchant who was lost in the nearby moors and decided to call for Mary to help him find his way. He founded the statue out of gratitude for her rescue.

The figure of “Gaździna Podhala” can be found in the altar of the neo-Gothic church built between 1869 and 1877. However, the first wooden temple was erected here soon after 1234, when Ludźmierz became the residence of the Cistercians. Afterwards, however, the monks moved.

In 22 February 2001, the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments, under the authority of the Holy Father St. John Paul II made the act of giving to the church of Ludźmierz the title of Minor Basilica. In the Archdiocese of Krakow title of have also churches in Krakow, Kalwaria Zebrzydowska and Wadowice.

Sanctuary of Our Lady of Ludzmierz

The Statue of Our Lady of Ludźmierz

Statue of Our Lady Gaździny Podhale is the oldest in parish in Podhale. With around 600 years old and measuring only 125 cm tall, wooden sculpture attracts crowds of faithfuls who gather in the sanctuary in Ludźmierz since the Middle Ages.

See Top 15 Catholic shrines around the world.

See other European shrines and basilicas. 

See more Basilicas and shrines in Poland. 

Bishop’s visitation before the partitions (in 1765.) Says: “In the side altar on the side of the Gospel there is a gilded wooden statue of the Virgin Mary, holding in her hands Baby Jesus”. This figure – according to records of visits – is famous for its centuries countless graces, and draws crowds of pilgrims.

Because of great influence of the faithful in Ludźmierz, the miraculous statue of Our Lady of Ludźmierz is placed on the main altar, with the consent of the authorities of the diocese (1776.). Soon  great rococo altar was erected for famous statue of Our Lady of Ludźmierz (1795.).

Choose from a variety of T-shirts - See more...

It should be added that originally the main altar of the church in Ludźmierz was a statue of the Virgin Mary with Child, artistically beautiful with graces (1420r .). In the eighteenth century statue of the Madonna was named in the figure of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The statue is currently on deposit at the museum located in the Collegium Maius in Krakow.

Prophecy in coronation of the Statue of Our Lady of Ludźmierz

Dated in August 15, 1963 took place the coronation of the statue of Our Lady of Ludźmierz. At the end of the ceremony the four bishops in procession moved the crowned the statue to the church. Then from the hands of Our Lady fell the scepter, which managed to seize Bishop Karol Wojtyla. It was she that entrusted him with the scepter, a was to announce later naming in 1978, Cardinal Karol Wojtyla for pope.

Let us remain close in the same prayer! May the Lord bless you abundantly!

Sanctuary of Our Lady of Ludźmierz

The figure of God’s Queen Mother of Podhale was donated to the church in Ludźmierz around 1400. Legend has it that the donation came from a merchant who was lost in the nearby moors and decided to call for Mary to help him find his way. He founded the statue out of gratitude for her rescue.
The figure of “Gaździna Podhala” can be found in the altar of the neo-Gothic church built between 1869 and 1877. However, the first wooden temple was erected here soon after 1234, when Ludźmierz became the residence of the Cistercians. Afterwards, however, the monks moved.
One of the key figures for the Marian cult in Ludźmierz was Karol Wojtyła, who used to come here to pray on many occasions. The most important church fair is celebrated on 14 and 15 August (the festival of the Assumption of Mary).

In 22 February 2001, the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments, under the authority of the Holy Father St. John Paul II made the act of giving to the church of Ludźmierz the title of Minor Basilica. In the Archdiocese of Krakow title of have also churches in Krakow, Kalwaria Zebrzydowska and Wadowice.

Pilgrim House

St. Pope John Paul II visited Pilgrim House at the Shrine of the Apostolic Pilgrimage on 7 June 1997. A great place for days of recollection for prayer groups, altar servers, lectors, high school graduates. There are regular retreats, Catechesis for brides. Very good location, excellent base for trips in the direction of the Tatras, Pieniny, Gorce Mountains, Orava. Great views of the Tatra Mountains and Gorce. The unusual climate of peace and to pray at the site for centuries saturated with prayer to the Virgin Mary.

The Pilgrim House is a conference hall which can accommodate 120 people, has also the inner chapel. Pilgrim House can provide accommodation for 60 pilgrims, 3, 4 and 5 bed rooms. Pilgrim’s House is located next to a large parking lot. Reservations every day except Sundays and holidays between. 8.30 – 12.00. tel. +48 18 265 55 27 w.15

Let us remain close in the same prayer! May the Lord bless you abundantly!

By car
from Nowy Targ – direction: the Black Dunajec
going to the Black Dunajec Just outside Nowy Targ begins Ludzmierz. In Ludźmierz at the first crossroads turn right; after driving approx. 1 km – Sanctuary is on the right immediately after the bridge.

from Krakow, Myslenice – direction Nowy Targ. Exit Klikuszowa: in Klikuszowa turn right – turn signal on Ludzmierz; the next village on the route: Lasek, go straight, the Sanctuary is on the left side.
By train
Nowy Targ, then the commuter bus or bus to Ludźmierz.

Ludźmierz is the oldest village in Podhale and is located about 85 kilometres south of Kraków. It lies approximately 3 kilometres (2 mi) west of Nowy Targ.

Let us remain close in the same prayer! May the Lord bless you abundantly!

History of the Sanctuary

Church in Ludźmierz was constructed of wood in year 1.234, it has been dedicated to the Virgin of the Assumption. It was located near the Cistercian monastery.Unfortunately the monastery, was often robbed by the Tatars and was finally closed and the Cistercians moved to another location. One of them, however, remained with the permission of the bishop in place to take care of the church.

It is not known exactly when the  statue of the Virgin Marywas carved.Historians, however, set a date around 1400. Legends complement the story, ensuring that it has been carved for Hungarian merchants  after the Blessed Virgin appeared to them.

For several centuries on one of the side altars of the church was a gilded statue of the Holy Virgin, which holds in her hands the Child Jesus. This figure has been known for centuries by many graces and by a large number of pilgrims who come to Mary.

The growing cult of Mary meant that in 1796 the sculpture was moved to the main altar, which was built in the Rococo style.

The old wooden church was demolished in 1869, and in its place a new church was built in neo-Gothic style, the rococo altar with a statue of the miraculous Lady Ludźmierz was transfered to the new church.

The common people of Podhala came to the shrine to worship the Miraculous Lady and to beg her in need of grace.

A very important event for the shrine was the coronation of the Virgin Figures with papal crowns. This ceremony took place on 15 August 1963. The coronation made the Polish Primate Stefan Wyszynski and Bishop Karol Wojtyla. From that moment the shrine became a place of greater and special love to the Virgin.

Polish writers took care to give testimony to the popularity of the cult of Our Lady in Ludźmierz: Wladyslaw Orkan in his book “The Rostokach” (1903) describes the ceremony pilgrimage in Ludźmierz. Another author, Kazimierz break-Tetmajer expressed in poetry, love of the common people to the Blessed Virgin. The bells of the sanctuary Ludzmierz inspired this writer to write the well-known hymn “Angelus Domini”. Also Melchior Wankowicz in his book “Material” (1960) describes the cult of the Virgin Mary in Ludźmierz.

Choose from a variety of T-shirts - See more...

Pope John Paul II made a pilgrimage to Our Lady of Ludźmierz twice (1979 – Nowy Targ, 1997 – Ludzmierz). Always with profound reverence, but also with a special affection for the little lady in Ludźmierz and praying the rosary.In 1997, he said among other things: “Highlanders who excel simple and deep faith, have always had an intuition that the rosary is a prayer, a deep source of spiritual life”. Since ancient ages, people of various social groups go on pilgrimages with a rosary in their hand to the sanctuary to learn from the Blessed Lady, how to love Jesus Christ.

Since 1985, Marian devotion is growing.

Pope John Paul II gave a rosary of pearls and blessed her image copies for one of the churches Krakow.

Auxiliary Bishop blessed 300 sculptures of Our Lady of Ludźmierz, which visited all the families of southern Polish.

 

Sanctuary was expanded and renovated. The house for pilgrims was build, a field altar which used during services outside the sanctuary, way of the cross and the rosary and the stations, new four church bells were installed.

Pope John Paul II monument was erected.

Every year on the first Sunday of September, farmers Podhala have a habit of thanksgiving for the harvest of Mary.

In 2001, the sanctuary in Ludźmierz received the title of Minor Basilica

Devotion to the Blessed Lady spread among the many Polish immigrants in the United States and Canada, the Dominican Republic, in Bethlehem. In their churches they have copies of the image of Ludzmierz Lady.

Every day pilgrims come to Ludźmierz from all over Poland, nearby Slovakia and the Czech Republic, Hungary.

The sanctuary is taken care of a parish priest and custodian of one person, two priests, curates – co-workers and two fixed confessors. Also on the occasion of Marian feasts priests of neighboring parishes come to help in the pastoral care of pilgrims. Concern for the generosity of pilgrims take the Ursuline sisters SJK.

Let us remain close in the same prayer! May the Lord bless you abundantly!

Posted in Europe and Poland