Stara kaplica w Niepokalanowie, Religious chapel in Niepokalanów, Poland
The Old Chapel in Niepokalanów is a wooden structure built in an L-shaped design that served as the first religious building of the monastery. The modest chapel houses memorial sections and continues to function as a gathering place for prayer today.
Built in autumn 1927 as one of the first three structures of the new Niepokalanów monastery, the chapel was dedicated to the Immaculate Conception. On 12 November 1927, before construction was finished, Father Maximilian Kolbe celebrated the first Mass there. A larger wing was added from the north in 1929, and after the war the building housed a memorial hall and Kolbe's first cell.
The chapel's name honours Saint Maximilian Kolbe, who said the first Mass here on 12 November 1927 in the unfinished building. Since 2004 it has been a local sanctuary, with indulgences granted for 14 August, 15 August and 8 December. The larger part of the building holds a memorial room in six sections, from Kolbe's childhood to his canonisation.
The chapel opens primarily for special religious celebrations when pilgrims and visitors gather there. It is wise to check ahead before planning a visit since access is limited to certain occasions.
The chapel's dimensions were 15 m long including the sacristy, 5.70 m wide and 2.60 m high, and its original plan resembled an inverted letter L. The first Mass was said there on 12 November 1927 by Father Maximilian Kolbe, before the building was finished.
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