In the fourteenth century the name Pleśna in Latin sounded Plessina. In the sixteenth century the name was Pląszyna or Plansnia. Jan Długosz called it Plaszną in Liber benefictorum. In the parish book from 1781 the name Pleśna was used. The first parish church was dedicated to All Saints – the quote from the book of the parish. It was changed on the 23 rd May 1954 during the consecration of the present church, when the title was changed  to Assumption of Mary. The exact date of the establishment of the parish church is unknown. Probably, the first church was built about 1236 because this date was etched inside the first church.

 

These are the most important events in the history of our parish:

·        1236 – this date was carved in the sacristy of the porter in the first church

·        1538 – a bell called “small” was bought this year

·        1596 – the parish was visited by Fr. Krzysztof Kaźmierski

·        1596 –  a parochial school in Pleśna was established

·        1651 – 26 th May/March parish church was burnt by the Cossack and the Hungarian army

·        1664 – destroyed church was restored by Mikołaja Dobek Łowczowski and his wife Victorinus

·        1691 – Fr. Stanisław Saszer Orłowski the parish rector built a parsonic building at his cost

·        1694 – 29 th August Fr. Wojciech Waśniowski  was nominated the parish rector

·        1715 – Second bell – a larger one – was bought by Mr Krzysztof Kwiatkowski and his wife Katarzyna – it exists till now

·        1727-1743 – the parish rector was Mikołaj Ludwik Warzycki. The picture of All Saints was painted for him. At present the painting  is placed   in the main altar

·        1761 – Stations of the Cross were taken by the Reformed  friars  from Zakliczyn

·        1766-1790 – in these years the parish priest was Fr. Stanisław Wątorski who was born in 1732. He was a professor of philosophy at the Jagiellonian University, then a professor of poetry in Collegiate Tarnow and at the end a rectort in Pleśna

·        1768 – 6 th September the image of Merciful Lord Jesus was moved from the court in the Lower Woźniczna to the parish church. The owner of the court Konstancja Muchowiecka Zborowska donated the picture to the  church

·        1831 –  there was  cholera epidemic, but in the parish of Pleśna it appeared only in Rzuchowa where sixteen people died of the disease

·        1841 – Pilsen deanery – which included the parish Pleśna – was divided into the deanery Tarnowski and Pilsen. Pleśna was assigned to the deanery of Tarnów

·        1844 – this year the Pleśna parish had 495 worshippers, Łowczówek 395, Woźniczna 175, Kłokowa 151 and Rychwałd 418. Total sum was 1594 and 96 Jews.

·        1846 – Fr. Wojciech Cieczkiewicz – a parish rector in Pleśna from 1840 to 1846, who was born in 1812 in Bobowa and was ordained in 1836, was killed during the Galician riot on 19 th 1846. He was buried in a common grave in the Old Cemetery in Tarnów

·        1847 – “in 1845 a huge downpour destroyed all the crops. (…) The year 1847 can be called the year of God’s punishment…”  This year, 309 people died of starvation and of typhus: in Pleśna – 90, in Łowczówek -85, in Rychwałd -57, in Woźniczna – 55 and in Kłokowa -22.

·        1848 – Fr. Józef Radwański decided to start a new cemetery

·     1853-1855 – Again, there was  cholera epidemic – the epidemic went through the entire parish

·        1855 – At night between Saturday and third Sunday of Advent – the church was fired,  the frontal altar of Our lady, the floor near the altar and table covers were destroyed

·        1893-1894 – in the parish biweekly “A fried of the Catholic People” was printed. The editor was a vicar Fr. Walenty Szczepaniak, the publisher  Mr Zygmunt Jeleń. Printing was held in the annexe  J. Jakubowski in Nowy Sącz

·        1914 – 26 th December The first Brigade under the common of Kazimierz Sosnkowski fought the battle of Łowczówek. Captured three rows of Trenches repulsed 16 attacks, eventually holding the front

·        1918 – a chapel of the Blessed Virgin Mary was built at the site of the Battle of Łowczówek

·        1923 – Fr. Boduch Józef was a parish rector from 1923 to 1943, he was a builder of the new church in Pleśna. He was born in 1988 and ordained in 1915

·        1924-1930 – The parish church was built by the effort of the parishioners and was designed by architect Franciszek Mączyński. It was dedicated on 1st November 1930 and consecrated on 23rd May 1954.

·        1938 – The old wooden parish church was moved to Żelichów parish

·        1943 – There was a new parish rector – Fr. Marcin Konicki. He was the parish rector from 1943 to 1963. He was born in 1901 in Mogilno, ordained in Tarnów and died on 13 th May 1997 in Pleśna

·        1957 – 23 rd June – There was dedication of the church organ

·        1968 – From 2 nd May there was rebuilding of the parsonage. The works were completed in 1972

·        1973 – This year. Jan Felczyński cast two bells: the first one – The Blessed Virgin Mary (820 kg), and the second one – St. Joseph (240 kg). The bells were paid on 15 th August, the day of indugence of the parish

·        1981 – The Rzuchowa parish was removed from Pleśna, creating an independent parish

·        1984-1985 – The Construction of the cemetery chapel. It was completed in 1990 and dedicated on 13 the October 1991

·        1996 – In May two new stained glass windows were set in the windows of the transept. The east window was presented to St. King and the west one to Bl. Kózka Karolina. The work was designed and performed by a visual artist from Cracow, Mr. Józef Furdyna

·        1997 – In Pleśna parish there was a new catholic organization “The catholic action”

·        1998 – 9 th August Fr. Józef Bobowski was appointed as a new parish rector

·        1998 – We have another organization in Pleśna parish,  it is Caritas

·        1998 – Setting of the church square the Mission Cross commemorating the Jubilee Missions and the twentieth anniversary of the pontificate of John Paul II. The Mission took place from 9 th to 16 th October. In this year there was also a canonical visitation, which was conducted by Fr. Ordinary Bishop Władysław Bobowski

·        2001 – The parish branch of Catholic Action publishes newsletter, The Catholic People’s Friend, which was a continuation of the newspaper of the parish Pleśna in the nineteenth century

·        2001- 19-20 September – The painting of Our Lady from Jasna Góra visited the parish

·        2001 – 12 th October the parish library , run by the Catholic Action was consecrated

·        2002 – In January the was a branch of the Pontifical Missionary Children, whose guardian was Fr. Edward Marcinkiewcz

·        2002 – 9 th October – The relics of St. Faustina Kowalska were brought to the parish

·        2002 15 th October – Fr. Zbigniew Skumiel, longtime Pleśna parish rector died

·        2002 – 17 th October – Fr. Bp. Jan Styrna brought a new cross and a statue of the Risen Lord Jesus to the parish cemetery.

·        2003 – 25 th May – Fr. Bobowski Józef celebrated his 25 years of priesthood

·        2006 – 14 th March – Fr. Bp. Władysław Bobowski restored the chapel consecrated to Jesus of Mercy

·        2007 – January –  Kłokowa village  was annexed to the newly established parish of Świebodzin

·        2007 – The main entrance door to the church was renovated

·        2007 – December – A parish Pleśna website   appeared for the first time

·        2008 – 21-22 nd June – There was a canonical visitation, which was conducted by Fr. Ordinary Bishop Wiktor Skworc

·        2010 - The pictures of the Cross were renovated and sacrificed

·        2011 – from 25 th September to 2 nd October – There were parish Missions

·        2012 – March – The relics of John Paul II were brought to our parish church in Pleśna

 

Translated by: Aleksandra Skubisz & Julia Szymańska