It is said that in the place of today’s sanctuary, initially there had been a cross with a sculpture of the Crucified Christ. According to the records of Hiacynt Pruszcz from 1627, it was connected with numerous graces, due to a revelation of the Virgin Mary which took place next to the sculpture. The story tells that the contemporary parson, Fr. Jędrzej, had ordered his farmer to plough the field round the figure, but as soon as the peasant started his work, his plough fell apart and the oxen stopped suddenly. Then, he saw a small figure of the Immaculate Virgin Mary on the ground. When the parson found out about this incident, he decided to place it next to the statue of Lord’s Passion and encouraged his parishioners to worship it. Indeed, it was not long after, when the wondrousness of the place was confirmed. Zofia Roksicka, a local landlady and the Połaniec castellan’s wife, who was seriously ill, followed the parson’s advice and got miraculously healed when she went there. At once, the woman regained vital forces and her sickness disappeared completely. In order to thank for this grace, she founded a wooden church and a monastery where she later brought the Bernadine Brothers. The sanctuary became a centre of the Virgin Mary’s cult and, due to a growing number of pilgrims coming here, Piotrkowice gained the reputation of a sacred place. Yet, the greatest event in the history of the Piotrkowice sanctuary was the coronation of a wondrous figure of the Loretan Mother of God, by virtue of the papal law. It took place in 1958, on the eve of the Blessed Virgin Mary’s Nativity and was performed by bishop Czesław Kaczmarek.
In 1970, bishop Jan Jaroszewicz, the Kielce ordinary, passed the sanctuary to the brotherhood of Barefoot Carmelites. The order is known for the cult of the Virgin Mary, whose devotion, contemplation and worship of God should be an example for every Christian. They popularise mass services dedicated especially to the Mother of God, as well as wearing scapulars as a symbol of adoration for her. Therefore, anyone who searches for harmony, reflection and being close to God can come here for an individual religious retreat on a chosen subject or take part in the Barefoot Carmelites’ liturgy. Additionally, there are also “days of contemplation” to participate in. The spare time can be used for one’s personal reflection, prayer, spiritual reading, relaxing walks or conversation with the fathers. Every morning, noon and evening, the melody of the Angelus Dominus prayer, coming form the church-tower, reminds all the faithful of the Mystery of the Incarnation of the Son of God which took place in the Holy House (the Santa Casa) in Nazareth.
When crossing the route of Polish sanctuaries, it is worth to visit Piotrkowice in the land of the Świętokrzyskie Mountains and ask the Mother of God for graces.
