An old monstrance unearthed in southeastern Poland

Nadleśnictwo Lubaczów. W ziemi znaleźli zabytkową monstrancję (materiał z 7.03.2023)

Źródło: Nadleśnictwo Lubaczów

An old monstrance has been unearthed in Łukawiec Forestry, a part of Lubaczów Forest District located in Subcarpathian Voivodeship in southeast Poland. Monstrances are vessels used mainly in the Catholic Church in the ceremony of the Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. The origin of this item remains a mystery, much like its connection to a particular church, say researchers from the Borderlands Museum in Lubaczów, asking for help in determining the history of the find.

The monstrance was found in Łukawiec Forestry, which is a part of Lubaczów Forest District. It was discovered by Klaudiusz Kotulak who was carrying out a search for relics in the area, in cooperation with Subcarpathian Voivodeship Historic Preservation Office in Przemyśl.

According to the foresters, the artifact was buried in a shallow grave at the edge of a wooded acclivity above a valley, through which a road had once ran between Łukawiec and a nearby village of Dąbrowa.

Once the find was reported, a committee composed of foresters, preservation officers, and Borderlands Museum staff made a decision to extract the object. As it was then examined, the researchers learned that hte monstrance had been separated in three parts before it was hidden.

"Each of the elements has been preserved in a different condition. Most damaged and missing most part is the sunburst. The item is made of gilded and silvered brass. The stand and the node were cast and are richly covered with plant-shaped ornaments. At the cresting of the sunburst there is a plaquette with an image of the Holy Trinity, embraced by two adoring angels, and the whole is topped with a crown," the Lubaczów Forest District foresters said in social media. It has been determined that the monstrance was approximately 60 centimeters tall.

All parts of the monstrance have been taken to the Borderlands Musuem in Lubaczów, where preliminary conservation work is being done. Initial findings suggest the artifact dates back to the 19th century. However, the origin of this item remains a mystery, much like its connection to a particular church. That is why the foresters and researchers ask for any information that could help to determine the history of monstrance as well as the circumstances of its concealment.