Jesuit Church

The church was built between 1609 and 1626 according to the design of an unknown architect. The author of this masterful design was probably Jan Frankiewicz - the builder and creator of the church of Saint Kazimierz in Vilnius. The initiator of the construction of the church was priest Piotr Skarga. The preacher used the money collected from alms to buy a house in 1597 for the Jesuit order. In the following years, the monks bought other neighboring tenement houses and prepared the foundations for the construction of the church. They also received a construction site from King Sigismund.

The Jesuit Order came to Warsaw in 1607. The place where the headquarters of the order was to be built was not chosen accidentally, because the planned headquarters of the Jesuits, bordering the cathedral and located near the castle, would emphasize their importance in the society of that time.

The founders of this temple were, among others, King Sigismund III Vasa, Andrzej Bobola (chamberler), Gostomski brothers.

In 1656, the temple was destroyed and plundered by the invasion of Swedish troops. In 1660, the order founded a pharmacy next to the church. It also served the inhabitants of Warsaw and was the oldest pharmacy in Warsaw after the castle pharmacy. In 1668, the Jesuits founded a school with lectures on, among others, theology and philosophy at the academic level.

In 1720, the construction of a two-story building at the back of the church began, initiated by the Bishop of Płock, Ludwik Bartłomiej Załuski. Thanks to this building, Jezuicka Street was created. The school, as well as a pharmacy and a rich book collection were moved to the newly constructed building.

In 1773, after the dissolution of the order, this temple became a school church subordinated to the Commission of National Education. In 1818, the church experienced a crisis and was treated as a cathedral warehouse, and in 1828 wool was stored there. The temple returned to its original function only in 1834 thanks to the Piarist Order. The monks, removed from their previous residence by the invader, moved all their belongings, including monuments, to the church on Świętojańska Street. These monks brought a bear sculpture to their new headquarters, which can still be admired at the entrance to the temple. The church returned to the Jesuits only in 1918. In the 1920s and 1930s, repairs were carried out, but after a decade, the church was almost completely destroyed as a result of an explosion during the Second World War. The construction of the new church from 1950 to 1973.

The exterior of the church features a Mannerist facade, but the interior has a fully modern feel due to the lack of original furnishings preserved. However, there are some relics from the past that have been kept intact, such as fragments of a tomb monument dedicated to Jan Tarło, which was skillfully carved by Jan Jerzy Plersch in white and black marble back in 1753. Additionally, visitors can view reconstructed epitaphs of Sarbiewski, Konarski, Kopczyński, and Kiliński. The church also showcases several religious artifacts, including a painting of Our Lady of Grace gifted to Poland in 1651 by Bishop Juan de Torres on behalf of Pope Innocent X. A wooden crucifix from 1383, a baroque sculpture of Our Lady of Grace from the early 18th century, and a stone sculpture of a reclining bear from the late 18th century are among the other notable items on display.

The "angelic" entrance doors were made in 2009 by sculptor Igor Mitoraj as an exact copy of the doors in the Roman church of Santa Maria dell'Angeli. The gift was timed to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the Church of the Virgin Mary.

The image of the Most Holy Mother of God Gracious is located in the apse of the main nave. It presents the image of the Most Holy Virgin Mary Gracious. The Mother of God holds broken arrows in both hands, a symbol of protection against misfortunes. This oval image is a copy of the Renaissance polychrome located in Faenza in Italy. On March 24, 1651, in the presence of the papal nuncio Archbishop Jan de Torres, it was solemnly introduced into the temple and shown to the people of Warsaw. In 1970, the Vatican solemnly approved the Mother of God Gracious as the Patroness of Warsaw. In the years 2004-2007, the image, damaged by an inept renovation in 1961, underwent professional, long-term, and thorough restoration.

The antique crucifix comes from the 17th century from Lübeck. It was made of wood. It depicts Christ dying on the cross. This crucifix was ceremonially placed in the main nave on the transverse axis, to the left of the main altar on the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross on September 14, 1648. During World War II, the cross left the temple and was hidden. The crucifix returned to the presbytery only in 1957. Then, after the Jesuits built the church of Saint Stephen in Mokotów, it was transferred there to the main altar, and a copy hung in the sanctuary.

The sculpture of Our Lady of Grace, made of linden wood, dates back to the 17th century. The Virgin Mary has a golden crown decorated with black precious stones. The combination of golden robes with a blue cloak symbolizes power and graciousness. Our Lady holds broken arrows in both hands. They symbolize the mercy and graciousness shown to man by restraining divine anger.

The tombstone of voivode Jan Tarło (1684–1750), one of the main founders of the Collegium Nobilium and a benefactor of the Piarists, is located on the left in the side nave. The tombstone was created in the workshop of Jan Jerzy Plersch in 1752–1753 for the church of the Piarists. Destroyed in 1944, reunited and reconstructed in 2010.

There is a stone tablet in the church on the right side of the entrance. It is a souvenir of the two visits to this temple by the Holy Father John Paul II. These visits took place on June 2, 1979 and June 16, 1983.