St. Jan Sarkander Museum
43-430 Skocz?w, Rynek 2 open: from Tuesday to Saturday 9.15 am – 4 pm
The manager of the museum: Ms Łucja Skrond
tel. (033) 853 08 13 The cult of St. Jan Sarkander started to spread over Silesia and Morawy since his martyr’s death in 1620. In the 18th century his cult was also vivid in his family town – Skoczow. The 18th century sources tell that the place of his birth was a tenement-house at the market square, next to the Town Hall. Between the two World Wars a chapel was situated in the basement of the house and services in honour of the Saint took place there. Some catholic organizations, a library and a reading room were placed in the same building.
The inside of the St. Jan Sarkander museum – A room devoted to his life and cult. (photo: B.Sobański - 30.08.1996)
The 2nd World War and the following 14 years changed the hitherto situation and the cult was discontinued in Skocz?w. Only in 1959 the cellar became a chapel again and today it still does duty for it. In the autumn 1993, thanks to a dean called Alojzy Zuber and with the help of Town Hall in Skocz?w, the renovation work inside the building started ( on the basis of the projects of two architects: L. Herok and A. Wr?blewski). In June 1994 a bishop Tadeusz Rakoczy consecrated the renewed chapel and a new altar. On every Wednesday at 7 am you can take part in a Holy Mess here. The owner of the building is St. Peter and Paul parish from Skocz?w.
The inside of St. Jan Sarkander museum.
In November 1994 rooms on the first floor started to be used as a place for exhibitions. A permanent exhibition presents the picture of the life and cult of St. Jan Sarkander. The exhibits come mainly from neighbouring churches – the parish church and the St. Bartlomiej Church in Grodziec ŚlĄski. Old church documents, pictures, figures of saints are in the collection. A few things merit a careful attention: 17th century confessional, a tabernacle and a low relief from 1936 (made by Jan Wałach) showing St. Teresa over Skocz?w. The last of the museum rooms is used for temporary exhibitions which usually present painting, graphics, sculptures, artistic fabrics, pottery and photographs.
The inside of the museum – a picture called "Chrystus Zbawiciel" (Christ Saviour), a figure of Jan Chrzciciel (John the Baptist), a low relief of Teresa over Skocz?w and modern icons by Ilona Mazur from Chybie (photo: B. Sobański)
22nd May 1995 was an extraordinary and historic day for Skocz?w a day of the visit of John Paul 2nd. During his 64th apostolic travel abroad, the Holy Father visited the Czech Republic and Poland - Skocz?w, Bielsko and Żywiec. On the previous day (21st May) the Pope announced Jan Sarkander to be the saint worshipped in the Catholic Church.
The inside of the St. Jan Sarkander museum - 1st June1996 (photo: Bronisław Sobański)
The inside of the museum – figures of saints, confessional, pictures, modern icons (photo: B. Sobański)
"And here the martyr Jan Sarkander is in front of us as a new saint martyr, whom the church enters into its martyrdom. Although it has passed almost 400 years since his epoch, he indeed was the son of the Silesian land and here, after his martyr’s death, he was worshipped, mainly in Skocz?w (...)."
A piece of John Paul 2nd ‘s sermon preached during the Holy Mess in Skocz?w on 22nd May 1995.
Wn?trze muzeum im. ?w. J. Sarkandra 01.06.1996r. (fot. Bronisław Sobański)
Nowadays the place of St. Jan Sarkander’s birth is the starting point of pilgrimages and of a tourist track all over Skocz?w – a special track leading through the places connected with life and cult of the Saint. Among these places we can mention: the Town Hall with a portrait of Jan Sarkander, a road which has been called "Jan Sarkander" for over 50 years, a church under the invocation of the Finding of the Holy Cross – the place of the Saint’s baptism, a chapel on the Hill called Kaplic?wka, the St. Peter and Paul church and houses of D?bickie Sisters of Servitude in Mickiewicza Street. Below the plan of the track is presented.
