Saint Michael Archangel church in Świątkowa Mała, Wooden Orthodox church in Świątkowa Mała, Poland.
The Saint Michael Archangel Church in Świątkowa Mała is a three-part wooden structure with a bell tower crowned by a bulbous dome and cross. The interior once held two notable iconostases that served the community's religious needs.
Built in 1762 as a Greek Catholic temple, the building underwent significant changes throughout its lifetime. In 1986 it was converted to Roman Catholic use, marking a major shift in the site's religious identity.
This building reflects the religious world of the Lemko people, a community that lived and worshipped here for centuries. Visitors can still sense their presence through the wooden structure and the way the space was designed for their faith.
The church sits near the village in a gently rolling region and is part of the regional Wooden Architecture Trail. Visitors should know that the site operates as a religious monument and may have limited access times.
The building survived the 1927 Tylawa Schism when local residents converted to Orthodoxy but continued using a chapel in nearby Świątkowa Wielka. This event reflects the complicated religious story of a region pulled between different faiths.
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