St. Anne's Parish in Wiechowice

The Parish of St. Anne in Wiechowice, established in 1903, is located in the Opole diocese and belongs to the Branice deanery. Its history dates back to before Wiechowice was annexed to Prussia, when these villages were part of the Neplachovice parish and later Jaktař. In 1780, they were incorporated into the Pilszcz parish, which prompted the residents to build their own church, completed in 1793 in the Baroque style. Consecrated a year later, the church was small, which quickly became a problem due to the large number of worshippers. As a result, in 1903, after numerous efforts, an independent parish was established, with Saint Anne as its patron saint. The first parish priest was Fr. Sylwester Seeman. The church underwent modernization, including the addition of new polychrome paintings by folk artist Jan Kawulok in 1959. In the post-war period, the parish struggled with a shortage of priests, leading to pastoral care being provided by priests from neighboring parishes, as well as significant events such as the first Mass of Fr. Ludwik Lewandowski. Over the years, numerous parish priests served the community, each tenure bringing changes and challenges. Interestingly, due to unfavorable circumstances after World War II, the parish was without a permanent pastor for 15 years. In 1961, running water was installed in the rectory, improving the living conditions for the priests. The entire history of the parish reflects not only the development of the religious community but also the socio-political changes taking place in the region.