Temple of Mercy and Charity
The Temple of Mercy and Charity (Polish: Świątynia Miłosierdzia i Miłości) is a Mariavite cathedral in Płock in central Poland. It is located near the Vistula River.
Significance
The Temple is the religious center of the Mariavite Church and contains the tomb of its founder Feliksa Kozłowska, as well as a memorial plaque commemorating its first leader Jan Maria Michał Kowalski. It is also the focus of pilgrimages by followers of the Mariavite Church. The main religious celebration occurs on August 15, the date of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, which also coincides with the consecration of the church.
History
The church was built on the site of a small manor with two annexes that was purchased in 1902 by the sect's founder Feliksa Kozłowska. The temple's construction took place from 1911 to 1914 and was financed chiefly from collections of the Mariavite community.
Architecture
The Temple was designed in the architectural stylings of the English Neo-Gothic, according to instructions from the sect's founder Feliksa Kozłowska through Bishop Jan Maria Michał Kowalski. Technical aspects of the plan were corrected by two other Mariavite priests, Wacław Przysiecki and Feliks Szymanowski.
The church itself is built on an E- shaped plan to symbolize the word Eucharist. Perched on top of the main dome is a gigantic monstrance adored by four angels, each measuring almost 4 feet in height. The following phrase can be read underneath: "Adorujmy Chrystusa Króla panującego and narodami", which translates into English as "Let us adore Christ the King reigning over all nations". Atop each of its characteristic three towers are crowns, with three on the central tower as well as one on each of the side ones.
The exterior is gray in color, whereas the interior is done in shades of white. The interior is bare of any excessive ornament as well as the absence of any side altars. The focus of the building is to direct attention solely towards the main altar located in the central part of the temple. A gilded baldaquin resting on atop four pillars. A papal tiara as well as the Keys of St. Peter are fixed on the baldaquin's front face, to symbolize that for the Mariavite Church the highest authority is to be found in Jesus, present in the church through their fervent devotion to Eucharistic Adoration. Alongside the altar are located Gothic stalls where Mariavite clergy will be seated during religious celebrations. The doors, pews and floors of the Temple of Mercy and Charity are all carved from oak wood.
In addition to the body of Feliksa Kozłowska, the underground of the Temple also houses the crypts of important bishops of the Mariavite Church.
Archival photos of the Temple
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