Church - Basilica of St. Nicholas. A wonderful place. Fantastic masses on Sundays at 9 p.m. - the so-called Last Chance Mass. Tour the nooks and crannies of the church in August. A feast for theA spirit. I recommend to all believers and non-believers. There is GOD for all in this church. HISTORY: St. Nicholas Church is one of the oldest churches in Gdansk. Its history begins in the 12th century.It was built at the intersection of two important trade routes: the ancient road of merchants (via mercatorum) and the route leading from the Danzig castle to the princely possessions in Pomerania. From the beginning, the church served both the local population and the merchants and sailors who came here in large numbers from all parts of the world (St. Nicholas was precisely their patron saint in the Middle Ages). On January 22, 1227, Pomeranian Duke Swietopełk handed over the church to the Dominican friars who had just arrived in Poland. They immediately began intensive pastoral activities both within the city and in nearby Prussia. A monastery was established next to the expanded church, which soon housed almost two hundred brothers. The transition of Gdansk to Teutonic rule in 1308 marked the beginning of a new chapter in the history of St. Nicholas Church. For the intensely developing and increasingly wealthy city, the previous temple proved too small. So the Dominicans built a new church next to the old one - which has been preserved to this day. (Remains of the original Romanesque foundation can be found under the market hall). Knights of the Teutonic Order founded their chapel there (the tombstone of one of them - Kasper Wulfstein, who came from Thuringia - has survived). The most dramatic period in the history of the church was the 16th century - the age of the Reformation. The church was destroyed and looted several times during tumults. The monks were expelled from the monastery, several of them lost their lives.... In 1578 they returned to the monastery and took over the pastoral care of the Catholic population of the increasingly Protestant Gdansk. From this moment, the period of splendor of "Nicholas" begins again. More and more monks live within the walls of the monastery, intellectual life and preaching flourish, the church receives new magnificent furnishings (main altar, stalls, pulpit, organ...). Confirmation of the importance of the temple was the regular visits of successive kings of Poland on the occasion of their stays in Gdansk. The end of the splendor of the monastery (and all of Gdansk) came with the partitions of Poland and then the Napoleonic wars. In 1813, as a result of Russian shelling of the city, the monastery was completely burned down. Twenty years later the Dominicans were forced to leave the city, and the ruined monastery buildings were eventually demolished. A Catholic parish (one of four in Gdansk at the time) was then established at the church. Its pastors until the outbreak of World War II were exclusively Germans, although their names (Maćkowski, Bruski) attest to their Polish roots. Their vicars, on the other hand, were native Poles. Almost until the outbreak of World War II, Polish services were held in the church alongside German ones. The year 1945 turned out to be disastrous for Danzig - the city was 90% destroyed, the previously inhabited population was expelled.... Virtually all but one of the churches of the downtown area lay in ruins. The one survivor was actually St. Nicholas Church. (One story goes that it was spared by the burning of Gdansk by Soviet soldiers because of the figure of St. Nicholas, held in special reverence by Orthodox Russians). In April 1945, the Dominican friars again appeared in Gdansk (after a 112-year hiatus) and took up residence at their former church. They came here mainly from Lviv, which had been abandoned by the Poles - they brought from there a medieval icon of Our Lady of Victory, the patroness of that city (it is still in the church). In Gdansk, the Dominicans took up pastoral work among the growing Polish population in the city. The parish they received covered a large part of the city. Over time, as new parishes were established, the friars were also able to devote themselves to other types of pastoral service more related to their charism. today Today, nine Dominicans live and work at the church. We are engaged in a wide variety of activities. Many circles of the Gdansk faithful gather around St. Nicholas Basilica. So, in addition to working in the church (our "trademark" is the daily Angelus Mass at 12:00) we also take care of "specialized" pastoral ministries. For forty years, we have had the Górka Academic Chaplaincy. For slightly younger people, the proposals of the Catamaran Youth Pastoral are addressed. Those who have lost contact with their relatives involved in sects, as well as those who have left them and are looking for spiritual and psychological help, are supported by the Dominican Information Center on New Religious Movements and Sects. Anyone thirsting for religious knowledge is invited to the Dominican School of Faith. Regular meals for the poor are provided by the St. Nicholas Kitchen. A huge challenge for us is the organization and construction of the Dominican Center of St. Jack.... St. Nicholas Church of the Dominican Fathers in Gdansk is an extraordinary place. It is the oldest temple in the city and thus one of the most important witnesses of its beautiful and dramatic history. A witness all the more credible because it survived the turmoil of the last war. The furnishings collected over the centuries give it a unique atmosphere. CLASSIC ROOMS - July 25-August 14 Tourists and residents of the Tricity will have a unique opportunity to visit the tower, crypt, as well as other interesting nooks and crannies of St. Nicholas Church. Visiting hours: Monday - Thursday 9.00 - 11.00; 14.00 - 17.30; 19.00 - 20.00 Friday 9.00 - 11.00; 14.00 - 15.00; 16.00 - 17.30; 19.00 - 20.00 Saturday 9.00 - 11.00; 19.00 - 20.00 ? NIGHT VISIT TO THE CHURCH - August 8 (Saturday), 11:00 pm Fr. Prior Jacek Krzysztofowicz OP will talk about St. Dominic and St. Nicholas, the Dominicans and their temple in Gdansk.
18.06.2010
