St. Barbara’s Parish


Święta Barbara

St. Barbara’s Parish in Golcowa

Population: 2200
In the parish are:

  • St. Barbara Church
  • Heart of Jesus Church
  • Parish cemetery

St. Barbara Parish in Golcowa and the village date back to the fifteenth century.The territory on which the village and the parish were founded was on the property of Przemyśl bishop. On April 18, 1425, the first location privilege was granted by Bishop Janusz, who allowed Wojtek, son of Paweł, the mayor of Domaradz, to set up a village called Nowy Domaradz (today part of the village of Golcowa) in the forests along the Łączka Stream. (According to the Historical-Geographic Dictionary of Polish Lands in the Middle Ages published in Sanok, ŁĄCZKA is a stream, today called Golcówka, the right tributary of the Stobnica River, flowing into Domaradz).

The privilege undoubtedly pertained to the village of Golcowa, presumably its lower part. This is indicated by the privilege of another Przemyśl bishop, Piotr from Chrząstów, from June 25, 1448, to establish the village also in the woods above the link of Łączka, which was to be called Piotrawin. The privilege for the location was awarded to Maciej Golec, the mayor of Golcowa Wola. The names Nowy Domaradz and Piotrawin given to both villages did not survive, as already in 1448 the first of the two was named Golcowa Wola, and in 1468 both were called “Golczów or Golczowskavola.” The Golcowa village, whose buildings stretch along Golcówka, the first parish priest – Father Maciej is mentioned already in 1477.

A special place in the local community is the Church Complex, which is a sign of the spiritual and material culture of the inhabitants of Golcowa, but also a showcase of the village and a testimony of its history and cultural identity.

The Historic Church Complex in Golcowa includes:
  • Historic, wooden parish St. Barbara Church from the fifteenth century,
  • Wooden Granary from 1922,
  • A brick belfry from 1903,
  • and their surroundings.

In 2018 a major renovation of the Granary building was carried out and conservation and renovation works were carried out inside the temple – polychromes and moving elements of the historic church. As part of the implementation of this program, conservation and restoration works were carried out:

  • Construction, restoration and restoration works in the building of Granary to provide space that has not been used for cultural activities until now
  • Arrangement of the museum space in the Granary building
  • Conservation and restoration works in the interior of the wooden church of St. Barbara serving to preserve movable monuments
  • Conservation and restoration of the book “Liber Documentorum Ecclesiae Parochialis in Golcowa”.
  • Solutions for securing the church of St. Barbara in Golcowa – installation of CCTV video monitoring system
  • Energy-saving solutions, leading to reduction of energy consumption, illumination of altars and polychromes for their visibility, especially for visually impaired people,
  • The development of the surroundings within the historic church complex by making the driveway for the disabled at the main entrance to the church and to the past,
  • Purchase of equipment for sharing and dissemination of cultural heritage resources, conducting cultural and educational activities.

All these conservation and restoration works on the historic objects of the Church Complex in Golcowa were made thanks to the support of:

  • The Marshal’s Office of the Podkarpackie Voivodeship under the Regional Operational Program of the Podkarpackie Voivodeship priority axis IV “Protection of the natural environment and cultural heritage”, measure 4.4 “Culture”,
  • Provincial Podkarpacki Conservator of Monuments in Przemyśl,
  • Poviat Starosty in Brzozów,
  • Domaradz Communes
  • the generosity of Parishioners and Parish Benefactors.

The currently renovated historic church has regained its original splendor and shine. It is also a testimony to the culture and art of the past centuries and still serves the function of an active parish church in which the devotion is celebrated.
In the building of Granary, a museum exhibition was organized, which will present parish sacral collections of unique historical and artistic value, including: paintings, dishes, robes and liturgical objects as well as books and documents collected over a long period of time. All these objects illustrate the life of the parish and parishioners in Golcowa.

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