Kościół pw. Emaus
Churches of Kraków
Church (Roman Catholic), Dębniki district. Architect: Dariusz Kozłowski. Run by: Zakon Zmartwychwstańców.
History
The Emmaus Church stands in Zakrzówek in Dębniki and belongs to the complex of the Resurrectionist Major Seminary, known as the Way of Four Gates. Besides the church, the complex includes the seminary and residential building, the house chapel of St John Vianney and the chapel of St Joseph.
The church was built in 1985-1996 in the Postmodernist style. It was designed by the architect Dariusz Kozłowski, working with Maria Misiągiewicz and Wacław Stefański. The church was built for the seminary of the Polish Province of the Resurrectionists, and it is served by the Resurrectionist Fathers. In 2005 the complex was honoured with a place on the list "Poland. Icons of Architecture".
The name is unusual for a Catholic church: it refers not to an attribute of God, nor to Mary or the saints, but to a religious celebration. It is the Emmaus fair (odpust Emaus), an old local custom that still takes place every year on Easter Monday in Kraków's Zwierzyniec. This tradition is inseparably linked with the mystery of the Resurrection, which lies at the heart of the Resurrectionists' charism.
Did you know?
Although the church was built for seminarians, Sunday services here are open to all and a dozen or so lay people from the neighbouring streets attend them, which sets it apart from Kraków's other seminaries.