St. Onuphrius Monastery in Jabłeczna

The Monastery of St. Onuphrius in Jabłeczna is a stauropegial men's Orthodox monastery in Poland, established no later than the end of the 15th century. Its foundation is associated with the legend of the miraculous icon of St. Onuphrius, which was said to have appeared on the Bug River. The monastery became an important center of Orthodox worship, especially in the Chełm region, thanks to land grants from local landowners. After the Union of Brest, the monks of Jabłeczna refused to accept its provisions, making them a key point of Orthodox resistance. The monastery went through difficult times after the partitions of Poland, when it became a tool of Russian Russification, but also a center of social and educational activities of the monks. In the 20th century, despite destruction during World War II, the monastery operated continuously, experiencing various material problems, until a significant revival after 1970 under the leadership of Archimandrite Sava. Architecturally, the monastery is characterized by the Church of St. Onuphrius, built between 1838 and 1840 on the plan of a Greek cross, with one central dome on four pillars, beautiful frescoes, and an iconostasis. The complex also includes the house church of St. John the Theologian, a bell tower, and two chapels, which emphasize the tradition of sacred architecture. Particular attention is drawn to the icons, including the Jabłeczna Icon of the Mother of God and the icon of St. Onuphrius, which are objects of veneration among the faithful and date back to the 12th–13th centuries. The monastery has a rich history, intertwining both spiritual and social threads, making it an important pilgrimage site and a symbol of Orthodoxy in Poland. An interesting fact is that after fires, war damage, and difficult times after World War II, the monastery managed to rebuild its activities, remaining to this day an important center for the Orthodox community. The stauropegial status granted in 1999 further underscores the importance of the monastery, which operates under the direct jurisdiction of the Metropolitan of Warsaw.