Historical outline

The shell of the church was completed around 1933, with the consecration taking place a year later. However, the plans for a religious building on this site date back to before the First World War. In 1914, the Drohobych pastor, priest Jan Szałayka, took the initiative to build a church at the St. Jadwiga Polish Nursery, which was run by the Seraphic Sisters. Unfortunately, the war interrupted efforts, which were only resumed in 1922, but were again interrupted for various reasons. It was not until eight years later, thanks to the support of local companies such as "Nafta", "Polmin" and "Galicia", that processes were able to be taken to completion.

With the end of the construction, the idea of creating a monastic institution in the town came up. Thanks to the efforts of Father Kazimierz Kotula, the Ochronki Society gave a plot of land to the Capuchins. Permission to establish a religious house was granted by the Bishop of Przemyśl, Franciszek Barda, in 1934.

Within a fairly short time the monastery was built, but its full completion took place in 1937. At the same time, the church was being completed. The altar, for example, was only ready almost a day before the Second World War. This was caused by the financial difficulties of the monastery, which were nevertheless overcome by collections organised by the inhabitants.

Unfortunately, in 1941 the Red Army entered Drohobych, occupying and pillaging the monastery. The Capuchins were given a small part to use.

As a result of subsequent historical upheavals and army marches, the monastery premises were occupied first by Germans, then Slovaks, Hungarians and, in 1944, again by Soviets. A year later, most Poles left Drohobych, but the Capuchins decided to stay, wanting to support the Greek Catholics pastorally.

Unfortunately, the new Soviet authorities, using today's language, did not allow them to live, so the last brothers decided to move to Krosno, taking some of their equipment with them. The monastery was turned into barracks. The church was partly subdivided to be used for administrative purposes. In 1996 the church was turned into a garrison church, renovated and extended.

Architecture

The church is located in a suburb of Drohobych, on Vojtowska Gora (formerly Polna) Street. The presbytery is oriented to the west. The building was built on a cruciform plan. Its longer arm is formed by a single-span nave, and the narrower and lower single-span chancel is closed with a trilateral arch. The transept is equal in width to the nave. The ecclesiastical part is set back slightly into the plot. The convent part faces the front and extends to the sides.

To the sides of the chancel is a square vestry and a mirrored annex. The façade and side elevations of the transept arms are single-axis and surmounted by triangular gables. There are circular windows in the gables of the transept arms. The roofs over the church and vestibule are gabled (multi-pitched over the apse), covered with sheet metal. At the intersection of nave and chancel is a polygonal openwork bell turret covered with a soaring pyramidal roof topped with a cross.

Adjoining the church to the west and south are the single-storey monastery buildings. The entire building is built of brick and plastered. In the church, the cradle vaults are made of ferroconcrete. There are cross vaults in the cross bay and lunette vaults in the chancel. The windows are mostly rectangular, closed with a pointed arch. The entrance door is similar. The ceramic tile floor is laid in a chequered pattern.

It is worth noting that the building has undergone numerous alterations. Although the architecture of the whole has been preserved within the original plan, several important elements in the massing and details have changed over the years.