Church of Saint Wojciech

The Church of Saint Wojciech stands at Rzgowska Street 242 in the Chojny district of Łódź. It is a parish Roman Catholic church and also a Marian sanctuary with an image of Our Lady of Consolation. It is overseen by the Parish of Saint Wojciech, Bishop and Martyr, which belongs to the Archdiocese of Łódź.

Establishment of the parish and construction of the church

The parish was established on 12 August 1901 by Warsaw Archbishop Wincenty Chościak Popiel. Construction of the church took place in 1902-1924 according to a design by Warsaw architect Józef Dziekoński. The church was consecrated in 1929 by Wincenty Tymieniecki, the first ordinary of the Łódź diocese. The towers, modelled on those of the Mariacki Church in Kraków, were designed by Wiesław Kononowicz, and work on them was completed in 1938.

Architecture and interior

The building is of brick construction, three-aisled, with a broad transept. The interior has a Neo-Gothic character, in keeping with Dziekoński's original design. The church roof was covered with copper sheeting in 2002-2005, which was one of the major conservation works carried out on the structure.

Image of Our Lady of Consolation

The church houses an image of Our Lady of Consolation, also known as Our Lady of Chojny, painted on larch wood in 1600-1620. The image has been venerated for several centuries, and votive offerings are gathered at the altar as testimony to the prayers and thanksgiving of the faithful. The church is registered in the list of Marian sanctuaries in Poland, making it a destination for pilgrimages associated with this image.

The parish today

The parish has approximately 8,000 parishioners. The parish office is open Monday to Friday from 9:00-11:00 and 16:30-17:30. A pastoral ministry based at the church conducts daily services, and the building itself remains an active place of worship in Chojny for nearly a hundred years. The parish is part of the structure of the Archdiocese of Łódź, as confirmed by its official list of parishes of the archdiocese.

Chojny as the church district

The church stands on Rzgowska, one of Łódź's main exit streets running south, in the Chojny district. Due to the scale of the building, the church with its two towers modelled on Kraków's Mariacki Church, is visible from a considerable distance and serves as a landmark in this part of the city. The presence of the Marian sanctuary means that in addition to parishioners, the church is also visited by pilgrims from beyond Chojny, drawn by the cult of the image of Our Lady of Consolation.

Practical information

• Address: Rzgowska Street 242, Chojny, Łódź.
• Sunday and holiday Mass: 6:30, 8:00, 9:30 (for young people), 11:00 (for children), 12:30, 18:00.
• Weekday Mass: 6:30, 8:00, 17:00, 18:00.
• Parish office open Monday to Friday, 9:00-11:00 and 16:30-17:30.
• Before visiting, it is advisable to check current times on the parish website, as they may change during the holiday period.