Sanctuary of Our Lady Queen of Kashubia in Sianowo

From the 15^th century it became the destination of the pilgrimages of Kashubians who in front of the statue of Mary, ask for graces through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin. A beautiful legend tells the story of establishing the sanctuary. During the Midsummer night, two lovers went in search of a fern flower. From certain distance, the have noticed a faint golden glow coming from bushes. Highly intrigued lovers decided to come closer and instead of a fern flower they have found a figurine of the Madonna and Child. They decision was to donate it to the a nearby church in Mirachowo as Sianowo at that time did not have a temple. The next evening, young people met in the same place and to their astonishment they saw the statue back where they initially found it. They took it back to Mirachowo again. When the next day it once more reappeared in Sianowo, the villagers recognised it as a sign that Mary is particularly fond of this place. In 1393, they built a chapel and then a church. In 1480 It burned down. Madonna's figurine, however, miraculously survived. The cult of Our Lady of Sianowo expanded and many pilgrims experienced healing. Despite wars and plagues in the area during the 17^th and early 18^th century, the church survived. Tragic consequence had only fire in 1811 when the temple was burned down and the surviving statue of Our Lady was transferred to the church in Strzepcz. After five years, a new church was erected. The temple in Sianowo was built on a rectangular plan. Originally, the wooden structure was filled with sun-dried earthen blocks afterwards replaced by bricks. The tower crowning the west wall is covered by the roof slopes. Within the single-space interior, has been created a presbytery by separating rooms on the sides. Three Baroque altars from the previous church have been preserved. The miraculous statue of the Madonna is located in the main altar and can be veiled and unveiled by a picture of the Immaculate Mary. On the nave’s northern wall, another sculpture of Our Lady from approximately 1500 is stored. To the east of the temple there is a pilgrimage square. It is surrounded by shrines of the Way of the Cross in the form of bas-reliefs made by folk artists from Pomerania in accordance with Edmund Zieliński’s design.