The Catholic Pilgrim's Guide to Licheń Stary, Poland

Home to Poland's largest church and one of the world's tallest basilicas, built entirely from pilgrim donations to house the miraculous icon of Our Lady of Sorrows, Queen of Poland.

Rising from the flat agricultural plains of Greater Poland, the golden dome of Europe's seventh-largest church catches the sun like a beacon calling the faithful home. The Basilica of Our Lady of Licheń (Bazylika Najświętszej Maryi Panny Licheńskiej) dominates the landscape with its 141.5-meter tower—taller than St. Peter's in Rome—and draws some 1.5 million pilgrims annually to this village of just a few hundred permanent residents. The story begins not with grand ecclesiastical plans but with a wounded soldier's desperate prayer. In 1813, Tomasz Kłossowski lay dying on the battlefield near Leipzig, having fought under Napoleon's banner. He begged the Virgin Mary not to let him perish in foreign soil. According to his testimony, she appeared to him wearing a golden crown and dark red gown, holding a white eagle in her right hand, and promised he would survive and return to Poland. She instructed him to have her image made and placed where people could pray before it, saying: "My people will pray before this image and shall draw many graces at My hands in the hardest times of trial." Kłossowski survived and kept his promise. In 1836, during a pilgrimage to Jasna Góra, he discovered in a roadside chapel at Lgota a painting depicting Mary exactly as she had appeared to him. He acquired the image, dated to around 1772, and in 1844 built a small wooden chapel in the Grąbliński Forest near Licheń Stary, hanging the painting on a pine tree along a forest path. Word spread, and pilgrims began to come. Then, in 1850, a shepherd named Mikołaj Sikatka experienced a series of apparitions in the same forest. Mary warned of a coming cholera epidemic and called for prayer, penance, and conversion. When the epidemic struck in 1852 but spared Licheń, devotion intensified. On September 29, 1852, some 80,000 pilgrims accompanied the icon's solemn transfer from the forest chapel to the village parish church—a remarkable gathering that signaled Licheń's emergence as a major pilgrimage destination.

📜 History & Spiritual Significance

The miraculous icon of Our Lady of Licheń depicts Mary in royal attire—golden crown, dark red gown, golden mantle—with the inscription "Queen of Poland, Grant us peace" and the white eagle of Poland, symbolizing her role as protector of the nation. Over the following decades, the Marian Fathers assumed care of the sanctuary, and thousands of healings and graces were attributed to prayers before the image. By the late twentieth century, the original parish church could no longer accommodate the growing crowds. In 1994, construction began on what would become Poland's largest church—funded entirely by pilgrim donations without any government or Vatican support. The architect Barbara Bielecka designed a structure rich with symbolic elements: 33 steps leading to the entrance (representing the years of Christ's life), 365 windows (days of the year), 52 doorways (weeks), and 12 columns (apostles). The golden façade was conceived to resemble a waving field of grain, connecting the basilica to the agricultural heartland surrounding it. Pope John Paul II blessed the construction during his visit in June 1999, and the basilica was consecrated in June 2004. On February 25, 2005, just weeks before his death, John Paul II elevated the church to the status of Minor Basilica—one of his final acts for his beloved Poland. The massive pipe organ, installed between 2002 and 2007, ranks as the largest in Poland, fourth in Europe, and thirteenth in the world, with 157 stops across six manuals and pedalboard. Today, the Marian Fathers continue their ministry here, welcoming pilgrims from across Poland and beyond. The sanctuary has become particularly associated with prayers for Poland's spiritual welfare, continuing the mission the Virgin Mary entrusted to that wounded soldier two centuries ago.

☩ Pilgrimage Sites in Licheń Stary

The sanctuary complex spreads across extensive grounds in the village of Licheń Stary, about 16 kilometers northeast of Konin. Beyond the monumental new basilica, pilgrims encounter the original parish church, the historic forest chapel, and various devotional installations including a stone Golgotha. The scale is impressive—the basilica alone can accommodate 7,000 worshippers inside, with space for many more in the surrounding plazas during major feast days.

Basilica of Our Lady of Licheń

Local Name: Bazylika Najświętszej Maryi Panny Licheńskiej Address: ul. Klasztorna 4, 62-563 Licheń Stary, Poland GPS Coordinates: 52.3233124, 18.3578532 Google Maps: View on Google Maps Website: www.lichen.pl Dedication: Our Lady of Sorrows, Queen of Poland Historical Note: Built between 1994 and 2004 to designs by Barbara Bielecka, this five-nave cruciform basilica ranks as Poland's largest church and one of the largest in the world. The nave stretches 120 meters long and 77 meters wide, with a central dome rising 98 meters and a tower reaching 141.5 meters—among the tallest church towers on earth. The entire construction was funded by pilgrim donations. Spiritual Importance: The miraculous icon of Our Lady of Licheń, the original 18th-century painting that appeared to Tomasz Kłossowski, is enshrined above the main altar. Pilgrims gather here for daily Masses, confession, and devotions. The basilica's observation deck at 120-130 meters offers panoramic views extending 30 kilometers across the Greater Poland plains. The Pilgrimage Museum within the complex documents the sanctuary's history and the tradition of Marian devotion in Poland.

Chapel in the Grąbliński Forest

Local Name: Kaplica w Lesie Grąblińskim Address: Grąbliński Forest, Licheń Stary, Poland GPS Coordinates: 52.3280, 18.3520 Google Maps: View on Google Maps Dedication: Our Lady of Licheń Historical Note: This marks the original site where Tomasz Kłossowski hung the miraculous icon in 1844 and where shepherd Mikołaj Sikatka experienced apparitions in 1850-1852. The current chapel replaces the simple wooden structure Kłossowski built. Spiritual Importance: Many pilgrims begin their visit here, at the place where devotion to Our Lady of Licheń first took root. The forest setting offers a contemplative atmosphere distinct from the grandeur of the main basilica, connecting visitors to the humble origins of this pilgrimage tradition.

Church of St. Dorothy

Local Name: Kościół św. Doroty Address: Licheń Stary, Poland GPS Coordinates: 52.3225, 18.3565 Google Maps: View on Google Maps Dedication: St. Dorothy Historical Note: The original parish church, dating to 1728, served as the home of the miraculous icon from 1852 until the new basilica's completion. It was here that the image was solemnly installed before 80,000 pilgrims in September 1852. Spiritual Importance: Though smaller and simpler than the basilica, this church represents the continuous thread of parish life and Marian devotion in Licheń Stary. It offers a more intimate setting for prayer and connects visitors to the site's pre-basilica history.

🕯️ Annual Feast Days & Celebrations

August 15 – Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Basilica of Our Lady of Licheń. The principal feast of the sanctuary draws tens of thousands of pilgrims for outdoor Masses, processions with the miraculous icon, and all-night vigils. The vast plazas surrounding the basilica fill with the faithful, many having walked on pilgrimage from distant parishes. September 29 – Anniversary of the Icon's Transfer Basilica of Our Lady of Licheń. Commemorating the 1852 transfer of the miraculous image from the forest chapel to the parish church, this celebration recalls the moment when Licheń emerged as a major pilgrimage destination, with special Masses and processions retracing the historic route.

🛏️ Where to Stay

Dom Pielgrzyma "Arka" 📍 Address: ul. Klasztorna 4, 62-563 Licheń Stary, Poland 🌐 Website: www.lichen.pl/en/nocleg-i-wyzywienie The largest pilgrim house on the sanctuary grounds, offering 747 beds in 188 rooms, all with private bathrooms. Features a restaurant, café, fireplace lounge, and conference facilities. A chapel dedicated to the Holy Spirit is located on the fourth floor. Dom Pielgrzyma "Betlejem" 📍 Address: ul. Klasztorna 4, 62-563 Licheń Stary, Poland 🔗 Booking: Book on Booking.com Located in the heart of the sanctuary with 288 beds in single, double, and triple rooms. Highly rated for its views of the basilica, peaceful atmosphere, and helpful staff. Buffet breakfast available. Dom Pielgrzyma "Nazaret" 📍 Address: Near Grąbliński Forest, Licheń Stary, Poland 🌐 Website: www.lichen.pl/en/nocleg-i-wyzywienie Smaller pilgrim house with 23 rooms for 61 guests, located near the historic forest apparition site. Features a restaurant and the intimate Olive Room for gatherings. Ideal for those seeking proximity to the original chapel.

🚗 Getting There

By Air: The nearest major airports are Poznań-Ławica Airport (approximately 105 km) and Bydgoszcz Ignacy Jan Paderewski Airport (approximately 120 km). Both offer domestic and international connections. From either airport, rental cars or bus/train combinations to Konin are available. By Train: Konin Railway Station is the nearest major station, approximately 16-20 km from the sanctuary. PKP Intercity trains connect Konin to Warsaw Centralna (approximately 1 hour 45 minutes) and Poznań (approximately 45 minutes). From Konin station, take a taxi or local bus to Licheń Stary. By Bus: PKS Konin operates bus services between Konin (Dworzec PKP stop) and Licheń Stary. During major feast days and holiday weekends, MZK Konin runs special pilgrim bus lines with multiple daily departures. FlixBus and other carriers connect Konin to Warsaw, Poznań, and other major cities. By Car: Licheń Stary is well-connected via the A2 motorway. From Warsaw, take the A2 west toward Poznań, exiting at Konin (approximately 2 hours, 145 km). From Poznań, take the A2 east (approximately 1.5 hours, 120 km). Ample free parking is available at the sanctuary. Local Transport: Within the sanctuary complex, all sites are accessible on foot. The walk from the pilgrim houses to the basilica takes approximately 5 minutes.

📚 Further Reading

Books:

  • Licheń: Sanctuary of Our Lady of Sorrows – Official sanctuary guidebook available at the pilgrim center, documenting the history of the apparitions and the construction of the basilica.
  • Poland's Marian Shrines by various authors – Overview of major Polish pilgrimage sites including Licheń, Częstochowa, and Kalwaria Zebrzydowska.

Articles & Online Resources:

🎥 Recommended Videos

🔗 Useful Links

✝️ Closing Reflection

"My people will pray before this image and shall draw many graces at My hands in the hardest times of trial."

— Words of Our Lady to Tomasz Kłossowski, 1813, as recorded in sanctuary tradition

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For current Mass schedules, confession times, and feast day programs, please contact the Sanctuary Information Center or visit the official website. Pilgrims are encouraged to book accommodations in advance during major celebrations, particularly the August Assumption festivثal.