On 27 June, the Parish of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Bolesławiec celebrated its 50th anniversary. An anniversary is an excellent opportunity to take stock, reflect and recall important events in the life of the parish community that have become a lasting part of the city’s history.
The church dedicated to Our Lady of Perpetual Help is located at Zamkowy Square. It was built in 1752–56 by Evangelicals on the site of a ducal castle of medieval origin and defensive character. The ducal castle, destroyed by Swedish troops in 1642, remained in ruins for more than a century.
The Evangelical community built an austere, late-Baroque church typical of Protestants. In 1834–35, a Neo-Gothic tower was added to the north-eastern wall according to a design by Engelhardt Gansel. It has an octagonal, openwork uppermost storey crowned with a spire-shaped cupola. After the Second World War, the church was used for a short time by the small Evangelical community.
In 1945, the church was taken over by the authorities of the Polish People’s Republic. The church building, stripped of its sacred character, was converted into a warehouse for the Bolesławiec POLFA Violet and Ampoule Factory. In the 1960s, after the warehouse was closed, the building was vandalised and damaged to approximately 70 percent.
In February 1969, the vandalised building acquired a notorious reputation. A young woman was murdered there, causing enormous outrage among the residents. The communist authorities of the time came under great pressure and ultimately—three months later, after 20 years of efforts—state authorities leased the ruined church for 39 years for religious worship.
That same year, Rev. Edward Bober was sent to Bolesławiec to undertake, as parish priest of the Parish of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, the difficult task of restoring the ruined former Evangelical church.
Work to clear the building of rubble began in June 1969. In December, the first Eucharist—a Midnight Mass—was celebrated by Rev. Edward Bober, the first parish priest. On 1 May 1970, the Roman Catholic parish under the invocation of Our Lady of Perpetual Help was canonically established.
Naturally, work on rebuilding and furnishing the church continues to this day. Nearly a year later, the church was consecrated by Archbishop Bolesław Kominek; in 1972, three bells from the Felczyński Bell Foundry in Przemyśl were blessed; and in 1976, a forty-stop organ built by the Brożek family from Tomisław was installed.
Among the significant events were the visit of a replica of the Miraculous Image of Our Lady of Częstochowa in 1992 and the transfer in 1998, from the municipal cemetery to Zamkowy Square, of the sculpture “Jesus, Friend of Children” by Peter Breuer, created in 1902.
It is worth recalling that the monument was a gift from the emperor to the Royal Orphanage. The larger-than-life statue was made of Carrara marble and inspired by a style fashionable at the time, described as “naturalistic Baroque”.
In June 2006, Rev. Prelate E. Bober, the first parish priest, builder and organiser of the Parish of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, retired. In 2000, he was honoured with the title of Honorary Citizen of Bolesławiec; five years later, he celebrated the 50th anniversary of his priestly ordination.
Rev. Dr Stanisław Kusik became Rev. Prelate Edward Bober’s successor. Upon taking office as parish priest of the Parish of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Rev. Stanisław Kusik was appointed dean of the Bolesławiec Zachód deanery.
– A parish is not only a brick church, but above all the faithful who form the community gathering in the church. It is in this church that sacramental life develops; here the Word of God is proclaimed and the Eucharist celebrated. Here, through the sacrament of baptism, thousands of children have been incorporated into the Church and received their First Holy Communion, the sacrament of confirmation, the anointing of the sick and matrimony. Every day, the faithful are reconciled with God and the Church here through the sacrament of penance. Priestly and religious vocations from this parish community are also evidence of the parish’s vitality. Here I would like to thank all the priests who have worked in this parish over the past fifty years. Some are no longer alive. I thank the nuns from the Congregation of the Sisters Adorers of the Blood of Christ, as well as the Elizabethan Sisters. I remember with gratitude the catechists and many laypeople involved in prayer groups and associations who are active participants in parish life. Many thanks to the entire parish community and to everyone who created this parish and built both the material and spiritual church. Thanks to all the Benefactors, thanks to whom this great work exists and is a testimony to the faith of the local community. This is also an opportunity to thank the city and local-government authorities for their exceptionally cordial and constructive cooperation for the good of the parish and the entire community of our city, said Rev. Stanisław Kusik in a commemorative publication.
The celebration of the golden jubilee culminated in the liturgical coronation of the image of Our Lady of Perpetual Help venerated in the church at Zamkowy Square. Bishop Zbigniew Kiernikowski performed the coronation rite during the Eucharist.
The jubilee celebrations were attended, among others, by Marshal of the Sejm Elżbieta Witek, representatives of local governments and associations, delegations from neighbouring parish communities, and numerous residents.
On the occasion of the anniversary, Bolesławiec Mayor Piotr Roman presented the parish priest with a commemorative liturgical chalice. He also recalled the fascinating history and modern story of the church at Zamkowy Square—an important place on the city map—as well as the parish community’s extraordinary contribution and commitment to a number of initiatives valuable to the entire local community.