Church of the Good Shepherd in Istebna

The Church of the Good Shepherd in Istebna is a Roman Catholic parish church, built between 1792 and 1794 on the site of an earlier wooden chapel from 1720, which was established as a result of a Jesuit mission. The masonry temple, designed by Józef Drachny, incorporated elements of the old chapel, including a linden wood cross, possibly crafted by students of Wit Stwosz. The church's current form was achieved after an expansion in 1928–1929, and its interior is adorned with polychromes by Istebna artists Jan Wałach and Ludwik Konarzewski. The main altar features a painting by J. Wałach depicting Jesus the Good Shepherd, surrounded by reliefs of the apostles and a statue of Our Lady of Częstochowa. Notable Young Poland motifs include a pulpit shaped like a boat and a baptismal font resembling a seashell, also created by Konarzewski. The church houses a chapel with a realistic painting depicting a procession of highlanders, and the left side altar shows the apostle Peter as the guardian of a highland couple. Unique features include ceiling lamps in the form of traditional highland barrels, as well as Spanish-style confessionals crafted by woodcarver Józef Bock. Surrounding the church is an old cemetery with cast-iron crosses and a new cemetery where notable figures associated with the region are buried. Nearby, there is also a historic former parish school from 1819, commemorating mountaineer Jerzy Kukuczka. The church, where elements of history, culture, and art intertwine, is an important landmark in the region, blending highland tradition with religious heritage.