Niepokalanow Monastery in Paprotnia

Medals for sale at the museum!

The construction of the church, which began in 1939 and was interrupted by the war, was continued from 1948 to 1954, and ran smoothly, mainly thanks to the generosity of the religious brothers.

In 1980, the church at Niepokalanów was elevated to the dignity of a minor basilica, and on 25 March 2004 it was given the title of a national shrine.

The dearest place for every resident of Niepokalanów is the old chapel, today the shrine of St Maximilian. It is the oldest building in the monastery. From this place everything began. It was in this chapel that the Saint prayed, here that he celebrated Masses and preached conferences. It was in this chapel that the brothers took their vows.

The chapel is still the cradle of the monastery. Right next to the sacristy you can see St Maximilian’s first cell, where he lived from the founding of Niepokalanów in 1927 until 1930.

Next to the chapel on the side of the road you can see a small statue of the Immaculate. This was placed by St Maximilian in 1927 on a field that was still empty when he was to receive the land from Duke Jan Drucki-Lubecki. The Immaculate statue shows the idea of Niepokalanów, a monastery belonging to the Immaculate and serving Her cause.