St. Lipka Marian Sanctuary

Medals are available for purchase under the cloisters just outside the main gate to the right of the Marian sanctuary of Święta Lipka!

Swieta Lipka is situated at the northern tip of Poland about 70 km north-east of Olsztyn and 6 km east of Reszel.

The origins of the Marian sanctuary date back to the 14th century and are known only from folk tales handed down orally over several centuries. The medieval axis attracted pilgrims from Prussia, Warmia and the far reaches of Poland. In the past, a large linden tree stood on the site of the present sanctuary, on which a statue of the Virgin and Child appeared with the first sowing of Christianity in Prussia. From the beginning, it was a place of numerous pilgrimages of the faithful. In the 17th century, King Sigismund II Stefan Sadorski handed over the administration and usage rights to the Jesuits. On 11 August 1968, the image of the Mother of Christian Unity was adorned with papal crowns. The ceremony was performed by the Primate of Poland, Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński, and the sum was celebrated by Cardinal Karol Wojtyła. Pope John Paul II, by a decree of 24 February 1983, bestowed upon the Church of Swieta Lipka the title of Minor Basilica.

Today, the Church of Our Lady of Swieta Lipka is a magnificent basilica, visited by pilgrims not only from Poland, but also from abroad.