BRZEŹNICA, GM. BRAINSK, POW. BIELSKI
"Miracle place" located on the rock of the forest near the village of Brzeźnica. It is formed by a cottage chapel, a spring from which the drawn water has healing properties, and a stone with a foot-shaped forging, which is supposed to be a trace of the apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The site was restored in 2019-2020. A wooden chapel was built, while the spring was closed with a sump.
According to local lore, the Virgin Mary was said to have appeared to a shepherd boy centuries ago on a tree growing here. A similar event also occurred in nearby Hodyszew. These events are said to have taken place around the middle of the 17th century. In 2018, a wooden sump was discovered during the cleaning of the spring. In October 2018 and April 2019, archaeological research was conducted at the site under the direction of L. Pawlata. 160 coins from 1665-1910 and a set of a dozen
devotional coins were discovered. Most numismatic items were from the 2nd half. XVIII - early XIX century. The chronology of the relics probably corresponds to the period of worship of the place. According to tradition, there was a local custom of depositing coins to the spring here, in thanksgiving for favors. Among the devotional objects, fragments of a rosary, medallions, crosses, a sash were distinguished, in addition, a metal ferrule of a prayer book, buttons and a fragment of an earthenware vessel were discovered. Originally, the "holy place" was located in a forested area.
In the 2nd half of the 19th century, there was a dispute among residents of the surrounding villages over the cutting of trees. This resulted in a decline in the popularity of the site's cult. Among the local population there were legends, among others, about a Varsovian woman who washed her dog in the holy spring and it lost its miraculous power. According to another story, a local hunter accidentally killed a worshipper drawing water from the spring.
According to the recollections of villagers, originally, before World War II, three wooden crosses stood in this place, hung with votives: medallions, holy pictures, rosaries. Next to it was a well with a wooden basin and a stone with the imprint of the foot and toes of the Virgin Mary. The stone was supposed to be gray granite, measuring about 1 × 0.6 m.
The present stone has dimensions of 50 × 70 cm, forged in the form of an imprint of a foot with clearly marked toes, 15 cm long and 7 cm wide.
(See Sacred and Cursed: Stones. .. Birchwood, p. 110).
Information sources: field search; https://bialystok.se.pl/brzeznica-matka-boska-odcisnela-tu-swoja-stope-woda-ze-zrodelka-ma-podobno-uzdrawiajaca-moc-zdjecia-wideo-aa-sqh6-8mAe-hFty.html (accessed March 20, 2023); Romaniuk 2020, 16-21
Geographic coordinates: 52.7002, 22.8287
