Our webmaster Richard Chonak is currently in Poland to attend the “Extraordinary Music Workshop” presented by the Dominican Liturgical Center in Kraków (warsztaty.mn), and recently visited the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in Gdańsk, also known as the Oliwa Cathedral from the district of the city in which it is located. Originally founded in 1186 as part of a Cistercian monastery, the church was completely destroyed by fire in 1350, along with the rest of the monastic complex, and rebuilt in the second half of the 14th century as the order’s longest church, 107 m (351 ft). For much of its history, Gdańsk was predominantly Protestant and German; with the partition of Poland in 1793, it became part of the Kingdom of Prussia, and was generally known by its German name Danzig. In 1831, the Prussian authorities suppressed the Cistercian monastery, and the church became a parish which served the increasing number of Catholic Poles moving into the city. After World War I, Gdańsk became a free city, and was made an episcopal see in 1925, with this church as its cathedral. After World War II, the city became part of Poland, and the see was elevated to a metropolitan archdiocese in 1992. Richard has visited some other interesting churches on his trip, and we will share some more of his photos in the coming days. Gratias tibi, optime!
