On Saturday, August 15, a crowd of about 2,000 people gathered for the solemn blessing of the Monument of Our Lady of Mercy in the small town of Konotopie, Poland. After a Mass, at the exact moment of the blessing by Bishop Krzysztof Wętkowski, a helicopter appeared above the statue. Thousands of red rose petals soon rained down from the blue sky, catching the wind and scattering over Mary's outstretched hands.
It was a scorching day. Finding a patch of shade in the vast square at the foot of the monument proved difficult. People fanned themselves with hats, shielded their children from the sun, and kept water bottles close by. Despite the sweltering conditions, pilgrims had traveled from all over Poland.
A place steeped in prayer
A communal Rosary opened the ceremony. Bishop Krzysztof Wętkowski of Włocławek presided over the Mass, concelebrating alongside several dozen priests. Senior bishops of the diocese Wiesław Mering and Stanisław Gębicki of Włocławek also attended. Former Polish president and Nobel Peace Prize winner Lech Wałęsa was seated in the front row.
Bishop Wętkowski reminded the faithful that the monument didn’t randomly appear in a place devoid of religious history. For decades, locals and pilgrims have visited a nearby chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows. “The place where we stand is no ordinary place; it is a place sanctified by the prayers of pilgrims,” he said in his homily.
Bishop Wętkowski also addressed the monument’s staggering dimensions, offering a far more profound interpretation than the arguments dominating internet disputes about heights and record-holders.
“Only if God is great is humankind also great,” he said, quoting Pope Benedict XVI.
Consequently, Mary is not meant to hold the viewer's gaze on herself; her presence points further. “Here, in Konotopie, we raise our eyes upward; we raise our eyes to Mary, who directs us to God,” the bishop emphasized.
Our Lady of Mercy
Reflecting on the title of Our Lady of Mercy, the bishop highlighted the Włocławek Diocese’s ties to St. Faustina Kowalska. The saint chosen by God to promote Divine Mercy was born and baptized in the nearby village of Świnice Warckie.
Bishop Wętkowski noted that mercy is a gift from God, but it remains a task entrusted to all Christians. True mercy cannot be detached from truth; it must find expression in concrete words and deeds rather than leniency toward evil.
The bishop encouraged everyone to renounce hasty judgments, detraction, slander, and hurtful words. He stressed that this applies not only to families and workplaces, but also to social media, political debates, and Christian communities. His words carried special weight, considering the monument had sparked heated internet debates long before its dedication.
Monument with a message
The monument to Our Lady of Mercy eclipses the continent's most recognizable religious statues in scale. The entire structure stands 182 feet tall. It consists of a 49-foot crown-shaped pedestal that houses an elevator and an observation deck, with a 133-foot statue of Our Lady of Sorrows towering above it.
Up close, the figure avoids feeling visually heavy. Its lower half resembles a massive column, but Mary’s bowed head and open hands soften the monumentality. Rather than towering over the crowd in a gesture of triumph, she appears to be descending toward them.
This was exactly the intention of the project’s designer, Adam Kuba Matejkowski. In an interview with Aleteia, he explained that Mary should not just be an object of prayer, but a Mother and Helper who actively approaches humanity. He also admitted that his primary emotion was relief when he first saw the finished piece. He had worried whether it would be possible to preserve the proper proportions and human beauty on such a massive scale.
Where it stands among other religious monuments
The statue’s massive proportions allow the Konotopie monument to easily surpass the famous Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro. It also decidedly dethrones the Christ the King statue in Świebodzin, Poland, which was previously the tallest religious structure in Europe.
However, the Konotopie monument is not a global record-holder. The statue of Mary (without the base) is shorter than the Virgen de la Paz in Trujillo, Venezuela (153 feet), and the Virgin of the Socavón in Oruro, Bolivia (149 feet).
Still, when factoring in the pedestal, the Konotopie structure remains the tallest object of its kind on the European continent. From the crown’s observation deck, visitors can admire a panoramic view of the picturesque Dobrzyń Land region.
A billionaires’ votive offering of gratitude
The project was financed by Grażyna and Roman Karkosik, a married couple who rank among Poland’s wealthiest entrepreneurs. They have spent years investing in the region's development. The couple view the monument as a private votive offering of gratitude with a profoundly spiritual dimension. Sculptor Adam Jakub Matejkowski, who hails from the nearby village of Płowęża, designed the statue and selected its location.
Matejkowski admitted that, even during the construction phase, he stopped viewing the figure exclusively as his own artwork. “I don't say, ‘my Mother of God.’ I say, ‘ours,’” he told Aleteia.
It stands in the immediate vicinity of the Shrine of Our Lady of Sorrows in Konotopie, a site the Karkosiks also helped rebuild and expand. Inside the shrine there is a 21-inch statue of Our Lady of Sorrows. Many people who have invoked Our Lady’s intercession here have seen their prayers answered in seemingly miraculous ways. It is this small figure that inspired the new, monumental version.
Planners submitted the initial application for the observation deck and monument to the Kikół commune office in 2023, receiving a building permit in October 2024. Construction began in January 2025 and lasted about 18 months. Workers poured thousands of tons of concrete to ensure the structure lasts for centuries.
A new tourist attraction for the region
Local authorities hope the monument will spur economic development throughout the region. The mayor noted that news of the statue put the previously obscure commune on the map, drawing attention from across Poland and beyond.
The Mother of God monument in Konotopie now joins the ranks of the world's most recognizable religious sculptures. By all indications, it will hold its title as Europe's tallest statue of its kind for a long time to come.
However, the 2,000 people who flocked to the site on August 15 didn't come to measure a statue; they came to pray. While the monument can easily be described with numbers and statistics, the things people brought to its feet—gratitude, hope, family worries, and earnest petitions—simply cannot be measured.
