Sanktuarium Matki Bożej Pocieszenia Nowy Sącz

The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Consolation is located in Nowy Sącz, within the Old Town, in the former Church of the Holy Spirit now run by the Jesuits. Its history dates back to 1400, when King Władysław Jagiełło founded a Gothic church for the Norbertine order. After a fire in 1611, the church was rebuilt in the Renaissance style, preserving the Gothic presbytery with its net vault. During the Austrian partition, the building was used as a military warehouse, and the altar with the image of Our Lady was boarded up. In 1832, the Jesuits took over, restored the church, and expanded the monastery with a college. Baroque gates from the 18th century, cloisters with reliefs, and a courtyard with a field altar and a mission cross have been preserved. The main treasure is the painting of Our Lady of Consolation, painted on a linden board in the 16th century by an unknown artist. It is enshrined in a Neo-Gothic main altar from 1890. In 1963, Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński crowned the image, assisted by Bishop Karol Wojtyła, later Pope John Paul II. For centuries, pilgrims from the Sącz region have visited the sanctuary. Indulgences are held on Pentecost and on the Sunday after the feast of St. Augustine (August 28). This site combines rich history with a living Marian devotion.