The Rectoral Church of St. Charles Borromeo in Nałęczów

The Rectoral Church of St. Charles Borromeo in Nałęczów, in the Lublin Voivodeship, is a wooden chapel built in the Zakopane style, following the design of Stanisław Witkiewicz. It was founded by Ludwika Benni between 1917 and 1919 as a memorial to her husband, Karol. After its consecration on June 22, 1919, by the Bishop of Lublin, the chapel became the property of the Parish of St. John the Baptist. In the following years, its condition was overseen by Mrs. Elżbieta Czyżewska and the Grochowicz family, and thanks to donations from spa guests and some parishioners, the building was renovated and the roof replaced between 1962 and 1965. In 1997, Archbishop Józef Życiński designated the chapel as a rectoral church, and the first rector was Canon Priest Emil Nazarowicz. The chapel’s altar features a painting of St. Charles Borromeo, the Bishop of Milan and patron saint of the sick, which is a copy of the one from the Powązki Church in Warsaw. The church is an important part of Nałęczów’s cultural and religious history, serving both a sacred function and bearing witness to local social and cultural events.