Towering in the center of the city, the temple, without a doubt, is its most magnificent decoration. This outstanding Baroque monument in Belarus in the XVIII century amazed with its splendor foreign travelers who flocked to Grodno during the sessions of the Seimas and the tribunal, it fascinates tourists today. The appearance of the Church of St. Francis Xavier in the city is connected with the activities of the Jesuit monks in Grodno, who were invited by King Stefan Batory. The Jesuits settled in Grodno after 1622 and first built the Church of St. Peter and Paul. Apparently, the work on the construction of this temple was carried out already in the 50s of the XVII century, on the eve of the war with Muscovy. Military actions prevented the Jesuits. However, after 1656-1660, the work was resumed.

In the 60s of the XVII century, the temple was ready. In 1678, the Jesuits began to build a new, larger church. It was the existing Church of St. Francis Xavier. In 1705 , the church was solemnly consecrated in the presence of two monarchs – King Augustus II and Tsar Peter I.

After a fire broke out in the Far of Vitovt, the church became a parish church in 1782 and received a second name – Farny. The architectural and artistic merits of the Church of St. Francis Xavier put it on a par with the most striking Baroque masterpieces in the world. A staircase was built in front of the entrance to the church, on the parapet of which a sculpture of Jesus Christ was installed. The facade of the church is decorated with two light elegant towers, the construction of which was completed in the 50s of the XVIII century.

In 1725, a mechanical tower clock was installed in the North Tower of the church, which was previously located on the city Hall, destroyed during the war of 1654-1667. This clock is the oldest operating tower clock in Europe.

The interior of the church is decorated with 13 altars.

The dominant decorative composition of the interior is the main carved altar with a height of 21 meters, created thanks to the donations of S. Lozovoy and his wife Constance. The altar was built in 1736-1738 by the project of the German sculptor J. Schmit. The three-tiered composition of the altar uses a complex group of columns and pilasters of the Corinthian order. A contemporary described this altar as "a forest of sculptures and columns." In the left chapel of the transept there is an altar of St. Michael the Archangel, which is the oldest altar of the temple. In the opposite Student Chapel there is an altar of Our Lady of the Student (Snow) with a miraculous icon, which, according to some sources, was brought from Rome. There was a collegium at the Jesuit monastery, where the future outstanding mathematician and astronomer Martin Pochebut-Odlyanitsky studied. In addition, the collegium hosted performances of the student theater.

In the second quarter of the XVIII century, a printing house operated on the territory of the monastery.

Since the 80s of the XVII century, a pharmacy has been operating, for which a special building was built in 1709. Today, the only pharmacy museum in Belarus is open here.

On December 15, 1990, Pope John Paul II awarded the status of a Minor Basilica to the Orthodox Church in Grodno, and on April 13, 1991, when the Grodno Catholic diocese was formed, it became a cathedral.

MASS SCHEDULE
Ordinary days:

7.00(PL), 8.00(PL), 9.00(PL), 12.00(PL), 17.30(BY), 19.00(PL)

On Sunday:

7.00(PL), 9.00(PL), 10.30(PL-BY), 12.00(PL), 14.00(LT), 15.00(BY), 16.30(PL), 19.00(PL), 21.00(RU)

Contacts:

tel: +375 152 62 54 64 (office)

yan24@libero.it (e-mail of the rector of the parish)