St. Wojciech's Church and Its History

St. Wojciech's Church, situated on the historic St. Wojciech Hill, traces its roots back to the 12th century when Benedictine monks from Mogilno arrived in the settlement, establishing a monastery and the first wooden church. As early as the 13th century, the village of Święty Wojciech, which developed around the monastery, was mentioned. Between 1348 and 1359, a brick church was erected, which in the 15th century acquired a tower, heightened in 1680 with a characteristic half-timbered part.

In 1537, a great fire struck the church and monastery, but thanks to the efforts of Bishop Stanisław Karnkowski, the church was rebuilt. In 1575, it was reconsecrated, and in 1710 it was handed over to the Congregation of the Missionaries of St. Vincent de Paul. It was then that side chapels were added and the interior of the church was enriched. After the suppression of religious orders by the Prussian authorities in 1818, the church once again came under the care of diocesan priests, and the former monastery buildings began to serve as a rectory.

Since 1928, the church has been a place of veneration for the relics of St. Wojciech, kept in a specially built chapel. St. Wojciech Hill, where according to tradition the saint taught and was buried, has become a place of annual pilgrimages. This event attracts pilgrims who, in a procession with the relics, set out from St. Mary's Basilica in Gdańsk to participate in a solemn Mass on the hill.

Currently, the church serves as the Diocesan Sanctuary of St. Wojciech, and in 1996 its spiritual significance was completed by creating the Calvary of St. Wojciech, leading to the chapel on the hill.