Basilica of Our Lady of Licheń Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Basilica of Our Lady of Licheń in Licheń Stary Bazylika Najświętszej Maryi Panny Licheńskiej w Licheniu Starym
Front view of the Basilica
Religion
Affiliation	Roman Catholic
District	Diocese of Włocławek
Year consecrated	2004
Location
Location	Licheń Stary, Poland
Architecture
Architect(s)	Barbara Bielecka
Architectural type	church
Architectural style	postmodern
Groundbreaking	1994-06-24
Completed	2004
Specifications
Direction of façade	south
Spire height	141.5 m (464 ft)
Materials	concrete, steel, bricks

The Basilica of Our Lady of Licheń is a huge Catholic church in a village called Licheń Stary in Poland. It's part of a special place called the Shrine of Our Lady of Sorrows, Queen of Poland.

A talented architect named Barbara Bielecka designed this amazing building. It was built between 1994 and 2004. People from all over the world gave money to help build it.

The church has a very tall tower, reaching 141.5 meters (about 464 feet) into the sky. This makes it one of the tallest and largest churches in the whole world!

History of the Basilica
Gallery
See also

History of the Basilica

The story of this church began way back in 1813. A Polish soldier named Tomasz Kłossowski was fighting in a war near a city called Leipzig. He was badly hurt and worried he might die far from home.

He prayed to the Virgin Mary, asking for help. Legend says she appeared to him. She wore a golden crown and a dark red dress, holding a white eagle. She told him he would get better and return to Poland.

The Virgin Mary also asked Tomasz to make a picture of her. She wanted him to put it in a public place. She said, "My people will pray before this image and shall draw many graces at My hands in the hardest times of trial."

Size and Features

The Basilica of Our Lady of Licheń is truly enormous. The main part of the church, called the nave, is 120 meters (394 feet) long and 77 meters (253 feet) wide.

It has a huge central dome that is 98 meters (321 feet) high. The main tower reaches 141.5 meters (464 feet). This makes it the biggest church in Poland. It is also one of the largest church buildings in the world.

The church is dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows, Queen of Poland. A very old picture of her, possibly from the 1700s, is on the main altar. Many people visit this church, making it one of Poland's most important pilgrimage sites.

The Grand Organ

Inside the Basilica, there is a massive pipe organ. It was built by a Polish company called Zych between 2002 and 2007. This organ has 157 stops, which means it can make many different sounds.

It has six keyboards and a pedalboard. This makes it the largest organ in Poland. It's also the 4th largest in Europe and the 13th largest in the entire world!