Lord's Ark Church, also translated as the Church of Our Lady Queen of Poland, (Polish: Kościół Arka Pana) is a Roman Catholic church located on the outskirts of the Nowa Huta district in Kraków, Poland. Built between 1967 and 1977, it was the was the first church to be built in Nowa Huta.
| Lord's Ark Church | |
|---|---|
| Church of Our Lady Queen of Poland | |
Kościół Arka Pana | |
 View of Lord's Ark Church | |
 | |
| Location | Nowa, Huta |
| Address | Obrońców Krzyża 1, 31-831 Kraków |
| Country | Poland |
| Denomination | Catholic Church |
| Website | https://arkapana.pl/ |
| History | |
| Consecrated | May 15, 1977 |
History
editAs early as 1952 local residents formed a parish and started lobbying for permission to build a church but the Communist government would not grant building permits or allocate any land for the building.[1] In 1956 residents delivered two petitions advocating for the building to local authorities[2] and permission was granted. In 1957 they placed a wooden cross near Plac Teatralny (Theater Square) to mark the location of the future church.[3][4] In October 1959 authorities withdrew the building permission and the land was taken back. This led to community protest by the residents of Nowa Huta and on April 27, 1960 when authorities came to remove the wooden cross the 1960 Nowa Huta protests broke out that were met with violence from the police and militia.[2][5]
In 1965 a new location was finally secured which is credited to the intervention of then metropolitan bishop, Karol Wojtyła.[4][3] Designed by architect Wojciech Pietrzyk in 1965[6][5] and construction began on the new building in 1967. Due to political restrictions construction was primarily carried out by volunteers, with no assistance from the government over 9 years.[6][7] On May 18, 1969, the Archbishop of Kraków, Cardinal Karol Wojtyła, laid the cornerstone from St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican and consecrated by Pope Paul VI.[8] On May 15, 1977, Cardinal Karol Wojtyła consecrated the church, giving it the name of Our Lady Queen of Poland.
During the 1980s martial law, period, the church became a focal point for anti-communist resistance. Monthly masses held there often turned into protests, and the site saw events like the death of Bogdan Włosik, a young protester shot by security forces in 1982. In 1992 a monument was erected on the site commemorating his death.[9][10]
Church
edit
The exterior, with its large sloping roof and 70 metres (230 ft) mast in the shape of a crowned cross, was a reference to Noah's Ark.[6] In architectural terms, the church is a good example of the late modernist style in Poland,[6] and is considered a reference to the Notre-Dame du Haut chapel in Ronchamp, France designed by Le Corbusier a decade earlier.[4][8]
The church is laid out over 3 levels. The main nave dominated by the 8 metres (26 ft) tall crucifix created by Bronisław Chromy.[8][6]
References
edit- ^ Mancebo, Ivanka Garcia. "The Lord's Ark - Arka Pana Church in Nowa Huta". www.introducingkrakow.com. Retrieved 2024-08-09.
- ^ a b Ridan, Jerry (1997). "The fight for the cross in Nowa Huta". Historical Quarterly Karta. 21: 119–141.
- ^ a b "The Ark of Lord Church - krakow.wiki". krakow.wiki. March 24, 2017. Retrieved 2024-08-09.
- ^ a b c Cymer, Anna (November 3, 2023). "Churches of Protest". Culture.pl Series: Spirituality. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
- ^ a b Gintoff, Vladimir (2016-03-07). "These Churches Are the Unrecognized Architecture of Poland's Anti-Communist "Solidarity" Movement". ArchDaily. Retrieved 2024-08-07.
- ^ a b c d e Stec, Barbara (2019). "Sunlight and atmosphere in the Ark of the Lord Church in Krakow". Czasopismo Techniczne. 1: 65. doi:10.4467/2353737XCT.19.005.10045.
- ^ kaila (March 17, 2016). "Lord's Ark". Atlas Obscura. Retrieved 2024-08-09.
- ^ a b c Smaga, Magdalena (2019-01-27). "Kościół Matki Bożej Królowej Polski (Arka Pana) - SzlakModernizmu.PL". Krakow Architecture Trails. Retrieved 2024-08-07.
- ^ "40 lat temu w Nowej Hucie został zastrzelony Bogdan Włosik". December 10, 2022. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
- ^ Litwińska, Monika; Zając, Ewa. "Włosika Bogdana śmierć". Encyklopedia Solidarności. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
External links
edit- Official website in Polish https://arkapana.pl