Cardinal Franciszek Marcharski, Archbishop of Cracow, held a special mass yesterday to celebrate the six hundredth anniversary of the monastery of Corpus Christi.
The mass was held in the adjoining church of Corpus Christi, itself partially completed in 1405. This awe-inspiring church was once the parish church of Kazimierz, which until the eighteenth century was a separate town in itself.
Legend has it that the church was founded on the spot where a stolen monstrance was discovered. The rogue who had committed the theft was stricken by remorse as he made off through the wilds, and he abandoned the sacred treasure. When night fell, a miraculous light illuminated the spot where the monstrance had been abandoned. Giving thanks for the return of the relic, the curia founded a church on that very spot.
In 1405, King Ladislas Jagiello invited the the canons of St. Augustine to Poland and they took over the parish of Corpus Christi. The adjoining monastery, which like so many in Cracow boasts a charming garden, has survived with the church until the present day, and in remarkably good shape.
If you're wandering through Kazimierz, it's well worth dropping into the church. It sees much fewer travellers than the churches in the Old Town, yet it is certainly amongst the most impressive and mysterious places in the entire city. Look out for the splendid rococo pulpit, which is fashioned like a boat, replete with oars and a mast and carried aloft by a pair of shapely mermaids.
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