On Saturday, Aug. 15, the solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Catholic Church in Poland dedicated the largest statue of the Virgin Mary in Europe during a Mass celebrated by Bishop Krzysztof Wetkowski of Wloclawek.
The monument stands 55.6 meters (182 feet) tall from ground level to its highest point. It was built in the town of Konotopie and funded by married couple Grazyna and Roman Karkosik, for whom it represents a "personal vow of thanksgiving for the recovery of their health and lives," according to Euronews.
Its height exceeds that of the famous Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, which measures 38 meters (125 feet) from its base; it is also taller than the Christ the King of the Universe statue in Swiebodzin, Poland, which stands 52.5 meters (172 feet) tall when measured from the mound upon which it rises.
According to Vatican News, the statue depicts Our Lady of Mercy and is located near a chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows, which serves as a pilgrimage site. The bishop of Wloclawek highlighted this during the blessing ceremony, noting that the site where the new monument stands "is no ordinary place; it is a place sanctified by the prayers of pilgrims."
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Construction followed the design of sculptor Adam Jakub Matejkowski. The pedestal is surrounded by eight pillars in the form of a crown. Additionally, pilgrims can go up to a terrace at a height of 15.3 meters (50 feet), from where the image of Mary itself rises.
In his homily, the prelate emphasized the importance of lifting one's gaze toward heaven, especially in these times when many people "keep their eyes fixed solely on the earth and focus exclusively on themselves."
Regarding the name of the new sculpture, Wetkowski noted that St. Faustina Kowalska, to whom Christ revealed his divine mercy, was born in Swinice Warckie, also within the Diocese of Wloclawek, where she was baptized and received her first Communion.
"Here in Konotopie, Mary, in the image we see, welcomes us all; she leans toward us and opens her arms to invite us to lift our gaze upward, toward God and heaven," Wetkowski noted.
The ceremony began with the recitation of the rosary and concluded with a shower of red rose petals dropped from two helicopters hovering over the monument.
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
