The 17th-century painted decorations designed in the Biblia Pauperum (Paupers’ Bible) tradition and focusing on various events from the Old and the New Testament deserve a particular attention.

History

The first mentions of a church in Sierakowice date back to the year 1447; based on the information contained in the available sources, the original church was dismantled in 1673. The current church of St Catherine of Alexandria was erected in 1675 by Józef Jozka, a master carpenter. The interior of the church is adorned with vibrant painted decorations created by Jan Ignasiuk, mentioned in the reports from inspection visits from the years 1679 and 1687; for unknown reasons, these wall paintings were later painted over in the second half of the 19th century. The church underwent renovation works on numerous occasions in the years 1819, 1886, 1947, 1953 and 1957, followed by a comprehensive restoration of the complex in the years 1963-1972. In the early 21st century, at the initiative of the erstwhile parish priest Jerzy Pudełko, various conservation works were performed, with multiple layers of paint being removed to expose the valuable 17th-century painted decorations.

Description

The church of St Catherine of Alexandria is situated on Wiejska street, in the eastern part of the village of Sierakowice. The church is surrounded by the old cemetery which lies in the shade of a few surviving old trees. The entire area is surrounded by a fence, with the main entrance accentuated by a 17th-century gate which forms the last remaining part of the original fence.

The single-nave church, oriented towards the east, was designed as a wooden log structure based on brick foundations. The structure is devoid of features pointing towards a specific architectural style, its silhouette consisting of three clustered sections designed on a rectangular plan: the post-and-beam tower with a vestibule at the ground-floor level, preceded by a small western porch, the nave designed on a slightly elongated floor plan with a crypt beneath as well as the chancel with a semi-hexagonal termination, adjoined by a small sacristy with vestibule positioned on the northern side thereof. The entire main body of the church is surrounded by a low cloister-like walkway supported by pillars reinforced with braces, covered with a skirt roof. The main body of the church is covered with a gable roof, adorned by an octagonal steeple crowned with a bulbous cupola jutting from the roof ridge above the nave. The end section of the chancel features a three-sided roof. The cloister-like walkway and the sacristy are covered with mono-pitched roofs, while the tower features an octagonal pyramid hipped roof. Inside, the chancel features a false barrel vault, with flat ceilings used for all the remaining interiors. The western part of the nave is occupied by an organ gallery supported by six columns, with the chancel being separated from the nave by a rood arch with a serrated edge. The façade is pierced mostly with small windows topped with semicircular arches, with the main entrance being located in the middle of the western façade, at the base of the tower. The interior décor as well as fixtures and fittings are designed in the Baroque style, with the most important item being the two-tier main altarpiece from 1678, incorporating the painting of St Catherine of Alexandria in the middle. The 17th-century painted decorations designed in the Biblia Pauperum tradition also deserve a mention. Finally, one must also not forget the two side altarpieces - the Baroque altarpiece with the painting of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, most likely dating back to the period of construction of the church itself, and the second altarpiece on the left, dating back to the 19th century. The baptismal font and pulpit also originate from the Baroque period.

It can be viewed from outside.

compiled by Agata Mucha, Regional Branch of the National Heritage Board of Poland in Katowice, 17-09-2014.

Bibliography

• Katalog Zabytków Sztuki w Polsce, vol. VI woj. katowickie, I. Rejduch-Samkowa, J. Samka (eds.), issue 5 Powiat Gliwicki, compiled by E. Dwornik-Gutowska, M. Gutowski, K. Kutrzebianka, Warsaw 1966, pp. 74-76
• Record sheet of monuments of architecture and urban design. Kościół parafialny pw. św. Katarzyny Aleksandryjskiej (Parish church of St Catherine of Alexandria), prepared by Hanna Wiąk-Marzec
• Record sheet of monuments of architecture and urban design (the so-called green record sheet). Kościół filialny pw. św. Katarzyny Aleksandryjskiej, 1959
• Szadowska A., Polichromie w kościele pw. św. Katarzyny Aleksandryjskiej w Sierakowicach, [in:] Wiadomości konserwatorskie województwa śląskiego, Vol. 3, G. Bożek (ed.), Katowice 2011, pp. 99-116
• Pleszyniak J., Drewiane kościoły na spichlerzowych szlakach powiatu gliwickiego, Katowice 2012, pp. 40-49