It is 42 kilometers long and runs along the lands of Gmina Węgierska Górka where Karol Wojtyła first came as a tourist, than as a priest, bishop and cardinal. It starts in the centre of Węgierska Górka on the square named after John Paul II. It leads to i.a. the church dedicated to the Transfiguration of Jesus and St. Catherine’s church in Cięcina, then across Hala Lipowska, Hala Boracza to the church dedicated to Madonna of Czestochowa’s in Żabnica. One of the last stops is the St. Maximiliam Maria Kolbe’s church in Cisiec called “the miracle of one day”. It is the first papal trail in the diocese of Bielsko-Żywiec.
The idea to create the papal trail in the Gmian Węgierska Górka was born a few years ago. In 2005, the first meeting took place on the initiative of Gmina Head Piotr Tyrlik, the director of the Promotion Centre Marian Kurowski, and appointed by the Papal Trails Foundation Tadeusz Gołuch proxy coordinator. In the creation of the trail, which was called the Pastoral Papal Trail, were involved the parishes with its parish priests, the local authorities , the local Forest Range and a lot of inhabitants. The Pastoral Papal Trail starts in the centre of Węgierska Górka on the John Paul II square and runs along the places and trails which were visited by Karol Wojtyła and where he was skiing (churches in Cięcina, Żabnica and Cisiec and mountains Hala Lipowska, Hala Boracza and Prusów). He is a honorary resident of Gmina Węgierska Górka.
The project entitled ‘The Papal Trail in Gmina Węgierska Górka’ received the third place in the contest ‘A friendly village’ in the Silesian Voivdeship. The best project was chosen within the scope of infrastructure that is being realized on the rural areas with the support of the money from the EU.
The first stop - The John Paul II square
The square is located in the centre of Gmina Węgierska Górka. There is the sandstone obelisk with the cross and the memorial plaque.
On the square there are 27 planted spruces that are the symbol of the 27 years pontificate and an oak tree from the seeds sacred by the Holy Father. It is a gift from the Forest Range of Węgierska Górka. It runs through a housing estate named after the twenty years period of the Second Republic of Poland, via Zielona and Kościuszki Strees which cardinal Wojtyła was crossing during his pastoral visits.
The second stop – The church dedicated to the Transfiguration of Jesus.
On 6th , June, 1972, cardinal Karol Wojtyła was on a canonical visit in the parish of Cięcina.
On 21th, January, 1976, cardinal Wojtyła celebrated a requiem for tragically deceased priest Jan Bryndza.
On 18th , June, 1978, four months before the election to pope, cardinal Wojtyła made an act of setting in the cornerstone of the church dedicated to Transfiguration of Jesus in Węgierska Górka.
He celebrated a Mass on this occasion. The church was built between 1997 and 1981. By John Paul II Street in Cięcina there is the St. Catherine’s church.
The third stop – St. Catherine’s church
Cardinal Karol Wojtyła visited the parish church during his numerous pastoral visits. Going via Saint Catherine’s Street towards Cięcina Górna, you pass the junior high school named after priest professor Józef Tischner and the primary school named after the Constitution of May 3rd.
The fourth stop – Hala Lipowska (1324 meters above sea level)
Between 9 and 12 February 1958, Karol Wojtyła visited the mountain hostel PTTK (Polish Tourist and Sightseeing Society) on Hala Lipowska.
The fifth stop – Hala Boracza
Hala Boracza lays on the mountains pass between Prusów and Robaczy Wierch. Bishop Wojtyła climbed on Prusów during his visit in the parishes of Żabnica and Milówka.
Beneath Prusów peak there is a chapel, which was visited by cardinal Karol Wojtyła.
Along the ridges of Prusów and Palenica we reach the St. Maximilian Maria Kolbe church in Cisec and through the hamlet near Milówka you go to the Madonna of Częstochowa church in Żabnica.
The sixth stop - the church dedicated to Madonna of Częstochowa’s in Żabnica.
The construction of the church in Żabnica started in 1910. In 1966, bishop Karol made the confirmation in the church.
The seventh stop – the church dedicated to St. Maximilian Maria Kolbe.
The church was visited by cardinal Karol Wojtyła during his pastoral visits in 1973 and 1977. The history of how the parish church in Cisiec was built reflects the difficulties the church faced during the time of the People’s Republic of Poland. The church is called “the miracle of one day”.
There is a primary school named after John Paul II in Cisiec. The required papers were given to the Holy Father in Vatican City in 2000.
The school takes an active part in annual celebrations - the rally of schools named after John Paul II that take place in many different parts of Poland.
Going along cardinal Stefan Wyszyński Street you reach the John Paul II square in Węgierska Górka. Cardinal Wojtyła crossed this street repeatedly when we went through the valley to the parishes of Milówka, Rajcza, Ujsoły and others.
It is the last stop of the expedition.
The Emperor Route.
It was created in 18th century during the rule of Joseph II and it was the shortest route between Cracow and Vienna. Along the part of the Route leading to Cisiec there is a 2 kilometers long walking road – it runs along the Main Beskids Trail named after K. Sosnowski (9 stops and the viewing point with the panorama of Beskids).
