WHEN GOING EASTWARDS FROM INOWROCŁAW , WE CAN NOTICE A TYPICAL LANDSCRABE OF GOPLO AND KUJAWY . A SMALL TOWN PAKOSC IS LOCATED SOME 12 KILOMETRES AWAY FROM INOWROCŁAW , IN A LITTLE VALLEY , NEAR THE NOTEC, A RIVER WHICH LEADS ITS WATERS LAZILY .
THE NAME „PAKOSC” COMES FROM A KNIGHT’S NAME PAKOSLAW FROM THE ADWANCS . IT IS POSSIBLE THAT ONE OF THEM FOUNDED A SMALLFISHINGVILLAGE AMONG MUD CLOSE TO THE RIVER . HE COULD HAVE GIVEN THE NAME FROM HIS NAME .
A TIME AGO PAKOŚĆ AND ITS SURROUNDINGS BELONGED TO THE PRINCES OF KUJAWY . THEN THE KOTOWSKIS HANDED IT OVER . DURING THE REFORMATION PAKOŚĆ WAS A CENTER OF REFORMATIVE ACTIVITIES .
NEXT THE DZIAŁYŃSKIS SETTLED DOWN HERE . AFTER 1608 A LOCAL PRIEST WOJCIECH KESICKI , FAMOUS FOR HIS KNOWLEDGE OF CALVARY AND DETAILS ABOUT AUTHENTIC PLACES WHERE JESUS CHRIST DIED , NOTICED THAT PAKOŚĆ AND ITS SURROUNDINGS WAS SIMILAR TO AUTHENTIC PLACES IN JERUSALEM . HE DECICED TO BUILD UP THE CALVARY IN PAKOSĆ BASED ON THE CALVARY IN ZEBRZYDOWICE , WHICH WAS JUST FINISHED IN 1602 .
IN THAT TIME THE DZIAŁYŃSKI OWNED PAKOŚĆ . THAT FAMILY HELPED PRIEST KĘSICKI TO BUILT A CHURCH AND SEVERAL CROSSES .
HERE IS A PART OF ANCIENT CHRONICLE:
‘’ NEAR A SMALL TOWN PAKOŚĆ THERE IS A NEW CALVARY OR JERUSALEM . PRIEST KĘSICKI ADVICED MICHAEL OF THE DZIAŁYŃSKIS TO DESIGN , FOUND UP AND BUILD
A GROUP OF CROSSES AND CHURCHES IN MEMORY OF ALL THOSE PLACES IN JERUSALEM WHICH WERE CONNECTED WITH THE DEATH OF JESUS CHRIST .
PAUL OF THE DZIAŁYŃSKIS , MICHAEL’S BROTHER DECIDED TO REPLACE THOSE CROSSES WITH SMALLER OR BIGGER CHAPELS . IT WAS ALSO CONFIRMED IN INOWROCŁAW IN 1631 . ‘’
FIRST CEREMONY WITH WALKING FROM ONE CHAPEL TO ANOTHER PRIEST KĘSICKI
PERFORMED IN 1628 . SINCE THEN MORE AND MORE PEOPLE HAVE TAKEN A PART IN IT .
HIGH PRIEST JOHN WĘŻYK ACCEPTED THE CALVARY IN A SPECIAL DOCUMENT WHICH WAS SENT FROM SKIERNIEWICE IN 1629 .
NOWADAYS THE PAKOŚĆ CALVARY CONSISTS OF SIX CHAPELS ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF NOTECRIVER AND NINETEEN ONES ON THE LEFT SIDE . IT IS BUILT IN THE BAROQUE STYLE AND HAS TWO ROUTES IN THE MEMORY OF JESUS CHRIST DEATH .
THE MOST IMPORTANT CHAPEL ARE THE BIGGEST ONES . FOR EXAMPLE THE CHAPEL OF HEAVENWARD . THE TWO HISTORICAL ACTS ARE CONNECTED WITH THE PLACE :
IN 1655 WHEN THE SWEDISH INVADED POLAND , THE SWEDISH SOLDIERS MURDERED PRIEST URBAN STERNALSKI , WHO WAS GOING TO A SICK MAN . A TIME LATER AT THE SAME PLACE POLISH SOLDIERS DID THE SAME WITH THEIR ENEMIES .
IN 1769 PLOISH PATRIOTS WERE FIGHTING WITH RUSSIANS NEAR THE CHAPEL . BECAUSE SEVENTY-NINE POLES WERE KILLED IN ACTION , THEY WERE GRAVED IN TWO BIG GRAVES . TODAY THERE IS A BOARD WITH A SENTENCE ON IT – „FOR BAR CONFEDERATES KILLED IN PAKOŚĆ IN 1769 FROM GRATEFUL HOMEPEOPLE „ .
THE MOST REMARABLE CHAPELS ARE : CHAPEL OF THE LAST DINNER ,
SAINT VERONIQUE CHAPEL
AND CHAPEL OF CHRIST ON THE CROSS , WHICH IS LOCALCHURCH UP TO TODAY .
THE THREE WONDERFUL CHAPELS WERE BUILT BY MARCIN UMINSKI , POLISH ARMY OFFICER . CHANCEL.IN THE CHAPEL OF CRUCIFIXATION HAS BEEN RE-BUILT , NEVERTHELESS THE SIDE. CHANCELS ARE ORIGINAL.
VERY INTERESTING ONE IS SO CALLED CASTLE OF HEROD .
THIS CASTLE WAS BUILT AFTER 1678 . IT WAS FOUNDED BY PRIEST WIESZ . IT IS CONFIRMED WITH A SPECIAL BOARD LOCATED ON THE WALL OF THE CHAPEL .
IN 1631 THE THREE BROTHERS OF DZIAŁYŃSKI – KASPER , MICHAEL AND PAUL SUBMITTED THE CALVARY AND ITS SURROUNDINGS TO PRIESTS AND GAVE OWN CASTLE FOR THEIR MASON .
NEXT , HIGH PRIEST OF GNIEZNO JOHN WEŻYK LET THE PRIESTS COME IN AND TURN THE CASTLE INTO THE CHURCH . IN 1678 THANKS TO PRIESTHOOD ALL THOSE CHAPELS WERE MORE AND MORE IMPORTANT FOR POLES .
IN 1838 GERMAN AUTHORITIES CANCELLED THE CALVARY AND THE CHURCH LOST ITS IMPORTANCE AND BECAME ONLY A LOCAL CHAPEL .
ON THE FIRST OF MAY 1841 MARCIN DUNIN , HIGH PRIEST CAME HERE TO SAY THANK – YOU FOR SETTING FREE FROM THE JAIL IN KOLOBRZEG . HE , ALSO , LED PEOPLE FROM ONE CHAPEL TO ANOTHER WALKING TO CELEBRATE THE EASTER . OVER 30 000 MEN AND WOMEN WALKED WITH HIM .
IN OCTOBER 1931 PRIEST CAME TO THE CALVARY AGAIN . THEY BUILT UP A SMALL HOUSE NEAR AND STARTED TO SERVE ALL VISITORS . PRIEST JAKUB KUBICA WAS THE FIRST CHIEF THERE AND STAYED FOR THE NEXT THREE YEARS .
DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR THE CALVARY WAS DESERTED . ALL THE PRIESTS WERE JAILED OR MURDERED . IN 1945 ALL RELIGIOUS CELEEBRATIONS WERE RESTARTED .
THE CALVARY OF PAKOŚĆ WAS NOT ONLY TO STRENGHTHEN THE RELIGIOUS LIFE IN DISCRICT , BUT ALSO IT WAS A CENTER OF POLISH NATIONALITY IN POLAND .
TO PROVE IT I WANT TO MENTION ABOUT THE POLISHSCHOOL NEAR THE CHURCH ,
WHERE LOCAL PRIESTS PLAYED LIKE TEACHERS .THE CALVARY OF PAKOSC IS THE SECOND OLDEST IN POLAND . IT IS WORTH OF REMEMBERING AND VISITING BECAUSE OF TRADITION AND LOCATION .
LET IT BE THE CENTER OF CATHOLIC AND POLISH WAY OF LIFE FOR EVER .
