On 21st of May 1705, which is the day of the Lord’s Ascension, bloody tears started running from a painting in the Piekoszów church. A Goszczyn captain, Józef Tarło, who was a witness to this event, decided to describe it and, from now on, the Piekoszów Mother of God Image has become an object of worship.
The history of the church and its parish
The Piekoszów parish was established in 1336 - soon after the building of St. Jacob’s Church had started. It was a stone and brick structure in the popular, Gothic style, founded by the Odrowąż family (the contemporary owners of Piekoszów). Unfortunately, after some time, it got very deteriorated and a necessity for a new temple appeared. Therefore, with the use of the materials from the old church’s deconstruction, the building of a new one started in 1807. Also many sacral objects were transferred from the former church, mainly the, grace bringing, Merciful Mother of God painting from 1691 - created by Krzysztof Latecki, a novice from Częstochowa.
The miraculous properties acclaimed
Practically from the beginning, the Piekoszów sacred picture revealed its miraculous properties by contributing to numerous healings. Even today one can find the documentation confirming these extraordinary events. They had all been carefully analysed by the diocese administrator, who pronounced that the picture indeed is miraculous and the graces it had brought are of supernatural order. Finally, the Primate of Poland, cardinal Stefan Wyszyński decided to enthrone the picture in 1968 in the presence of 70 thousand parishioners and clergy members, among whom there were also the monks from the Pauline Order in Jasna Góra. Nevertheless, the ceremony had to be repeated because the crowns were stolen in 1983. Now the sanctuary is a place for important ceremonies, like the Pentecost or the Blessed Virgin Mary’s Nativity Day on the 8th of September. Nearby the church, there is a Handicapped People’s House, which offers physiotherapy and retreat activities for the ill.
Piekoszów is an important point on the map of Świętokrzyskie.
