St. Lawrence Church in Dolistowo

The Church of St. Lawrence in Dolistowo is a Roman Catholic temple within the Białystok metropolitan area, serving as the seat of a parish belonging to the Knyszyn Deanery in the Archdiocese of Białystok. The history of Dolistowo, a settlement on the Biebrza River, dates back to the Benedictine Christianization mission led by St. Bruno of Querfurt. The first church, already existing during the reign of Casimir IV Jagiellon, was mentioned in documents of the Bishop of Vilnius in 1492. The parish was officially established on February 6, 1500, and its first pastor was Canon Stanisław Dąbrówka. The present brick church was built between 1789 and 1791 on the initiative of Hetman's wife Izabella Branicka, designed by architect Jan Bogumił Zsczernig. It was consecrated by Bishop Piotr Toczydłowski in 1791. Constructed from fieldstone, the church is surrounded by a bell tower dating from 1803 and underwent a thorough interior renovation in the 1970s. The interior is adorned with valuable artworks, including an 18th-century Crucifix in the main altar and paintings of Our Lady of Consolation and Our Lady of the Rosary by Antoni Herliczka. Current pastoral duties are carried out by Fr. Adam Sokołowski as pastor and Fr. Wojciech Stupak as vicar. The parish feast day is celebrated on August 10, the feast of St. Lawrence. The church in Dolistowo is valued not only for its historical significance but also for its architecture and rich sacred furnishings, making it an important element of local culture and regional history.