History of the abbey

So far there were three large parishes Nowa Huta, Bieńczyce, Mistrzejowice with about 200 thousand citizens. However, due to the number of people these three parishes were not enough. The metropolitan of Kraków priest Karol cardinal Wojtyła divided parishes in the Nowa Huta district: Nowa Huta-Bińczyce parish into three, Nowa Huta-Mogiła into two, only Nowa Huta-Mistrzejowice was not divided. He recommended that the new parishes should build their own temples by making use of their parent temple. The former temple in Nowa Huta-Mogiła was under management of the church and the Cistercian cloister in Mogiła. According to the agreement from 10th June 1983 between priest Franciszek cardinal Macharski, archbishop metropolitan of Kraków and abbot Bogumił Salwiński, the abbot of the Cistercian abbey in Kraków's Nowa Huta Mogiła, the Cistercian Order took over the duty of running the monastic parich established by the decree.
By the law of a decree from 10th June 1983 a new parish of Mother of Jesus of Częstochowa was erected and from 26th June 1983 parochial ministry is lead by the Cirsterians from Kraków's abbey in Nowa Huta-Mogiła. The new parish embraced with its scope about 25 thousand citizens in the following housing developments: Centrum A,B,C,D; Handlowe; Hutnicze; Słoneczne; Stalowe; Szklane Domy; Szkolne. The decree obliged the Cistercians to build a new church. The founder of the new object was the cloister in Kraków Nowa Huta-Mogiła and the parish Mother of Jesus of Częstochowa in Nowa Huta. The organisational works before a new church was build and parish established lasted until 1978 and were finished with church's consecration in 1995.
At present, the Cistercian cloister in Szklane Domy housing development in Kraków-Nowa Huta is a common priorare, a chapel of Nowa Huta-Mogiła's abbey. The monastic communion has lived there since October 1990. The first prior of this cloister was its builder o.cist. Niward S.Karsznia.

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Today of the abbey

CLOISTER

The cloister consists of three integrated parts: school, where there is a comprehensive male school called St. Bernard's College (Kolegium św. Bernarda) (with dormitory, chapel, auditorium and library), cloistral house of the Cistercians (with a chapel, auditorium, cells and refectory; and monastic house of Sisters Handmaids and Nuns of the Sacred Heart (with a chapel).

Contact:
Klasztor OO. Cystersów
os. Szklane Domy 7
31-972 Kraków
tel.: 0048 12 644-73-59 ; 0048 12 643-25-28

Męskie Liceum Ogólnokształcące św. Bernarda OO Cystersów
os. Szklane Domy 7,
31-972 Kraków
tel./fax 0048 012 643-06-61
http://www.liceumbernarda.republika.pl/

Zgromadzenie Zakonne Żeńskie Sióstr Służebniczek
os. Szklane Domy 7
31-972 Kraków
Tel. 048 12 543 41 10
The cloister is built in agreement with roman architecture. At the same time it is made of brick which is in agreement with the Cistercian tradition.
In the part occupied by a school is a modern attic with modern roof windows.
On the white walls of the hall on the first floor there are characteristic black paintings.
The cloister has three garths: cloistral, school and farm.

CLOISTRAL CHURCH

The Cloistral Church of Our Lady of Częstochowa and Blessed Wincenty Kadłubek is characterized by a modern interior and decoration in which it is possible to see a lot of references to the Cistercian tradition. For example, recesses in the church and portals resemble roman portals; doors are made alike the old ones; niches in the walls refer to tapering gothic windows.
The church does not have structural ceiling and is covered only with a steel roof and glass. It consists of a lot of gables and creates various planes. The whole roof is 24-metre-high. Other modern object are: the entrance to the church; basements (previously there were crypts, in the Church of Our Lady of Częstochowa and Blessed Wincenty Kadłubek there is a lower church in which there are concurrent masses, on its both sides there are chapels in which various celebrations take place); chandeliers and wall lamps.
The Stations of Lord's Passion- situated on the white walls of the choir's balustrades on the both sides of the altar and in the back of the church. They are sculptured in the wood and painted in subtle colours. They were made by a professor of Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków, sculptor Józef Marek with his wife, also a sculptor, Aleksandra Romańska-Bortowska.
Blessed Wincenty Kadłubek's Chapel- separated from the church by a wonderful stained-glass window made by Józef L.Ząbkowski. Such modern stained-glass windows decorate vestry, too.
Above the high altar there is a painting of Our Lady of Częstochowa. On the right there is a statue of Risen Christ. On the left there is a Cross with Crucified Jesus (a copy of the Cross from Mogiła)
Wood plays a vital role as a decoration and functional element. Benches in the church, as well as, confessionals are made of wood. In the church courtyard there is a sculpture of Merciful Christ, whereas, outside the church there are four corner sculptures representing the four Evangelist in a form of their symbols: St. Mark-lion, St. Matthew-man, St. Lukas-ox, and St. John- eagle.

Contact:
Kościół pw. Matki Boskiej Częstochowskiej i Błogosławionego Wincentego Kadłubka
os. Szklane Domy 7,
31-972 Kraków
tel. 0048 12 644-34-77

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