One of the unique religious complexes located in the city center on a high hill is the monastery of the Bernardine Order. The sharp spire of its figured bell tower, towering on the high right bank of the Neman, is the dominant feature of the ancient part of the city and is visible from any point of the surrounding area. Today, the Bernardine Church of the Finding of the Holy Cross is the oldest Catholic shrine in Grodno.

The Church of the Finding of the Holy Cross is the oldest Catholic church in Grodno. Back in 1494, the Grand Duke of Lithuania Alexander Bernardins was granted a plot of land on which they built a wooden church and monastery. King Zhygimont III in 1595 founded the second stone shrine in Grodno – the church of the Bernardine monastery. The corner stone was consecrated in 1602 by Bishop B. Voina of Vilna. The construction was completed in 1618 and on May 13 the church was consecrated by Bishop E. Volovich of Vilna. According to legend, the soldiers who returned home with victory donated the most for the construction of the church, and in memory of this event each knight gave a thaler, and the Chancellor of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania Lev Sapieha – a thousand thalers. In 1682 the monastery building was rebuilt. In 1686, the roof of the church was covered, the altar of St. Anthony was restored, the chapel of St. Barbara and St. Casimir. In 1736, on the initiative of Frantishka Baranovsky, 3 altars of the chapel of St. Michael were built. At the same time , the altars of St. Bonaventure, St. Onuphrius, St. Peter of Alcantara. January 21 , 1858 The wedding of the famous Grodno writer E. Ozheshko took place in the Bernardine Church.

In the interior of the church there are unique Renaissance sculptural compositions and an organ of the XVII century. 12 apostles are depicted in the niches of the arcature belt on the south wall of the central nave, 12 historical figures of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth are depicted on the north wall. In 1863, the monastery was abolished, and the church became a parish. And since 1990, the Highest Catholic Theological Seminary has been located within the walls of the ancient monastery.

According to one of the urban legends, the Bernardine monastery and the church were connected with all the other churches of the city. And the most intriguing was the legend about the underground passage, which was dug by Bernardine monks and Bernardine nuns from their monasteries, located on neighboring hills, towards each other for love meetings.

Schedule of services:

Sundays and public holidays: 7:30, 9:00, 12:30, 19:00 — in Polish
10:30 — sermon in Russian and Belarusian, service for children
weekdays: 7:30, 8:00, 19:00 — in Polish
Contacts:

tel.: +375 152 71 96 35 (office)

bernardiny.grodno@mail.ru