European pilgrims have been coming to the Holy Land since the time of the Crusades. From the mid-19th century, diplomatic missions and national ecclesiastical institutions of European countries began to be established in Jerusalem. It was then that hostels for pilgrims began to be built. Poland, which was under foreign partition at the time, did not have such resources, which is why the first hospice was not established until the 20th century.

The Old Polish House
The Old Polish House was founded in 1908 on the initiative of Father Marcin Pinciurek. The canon became involved in fundraising and publishing activities with the aim of raising funds for the construction of the Polish House. In 1908, he purchased a house in the Old City of Jerusalem, not far from the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The small building required some renovation work, but it soon began to be visited by Polish pilgrims. From the very beginning, the canon was guided by the idea of securing ownership of the Polish House so that it would serve as a place ‘for the Polish Nation’, acting as a shelter for poor Polish pilgrims. Following Poland’s regaining of independence in 1918, Father Pinciurek began efforts to have the House formally transferred by notarial deed to the Cardinal Primate of Poland, which finally took place in 1925. Thus, in accordance with the founder’s wishes, the Polish character of this place was safeguarded.

Father Pincurek continued to be the main person in charge of the shelter. However, the canon, born in 1860, was in increasingly poor health, which took its toll on the Polish House. The priest died in 1930, and shortly afterwards the Elizabethan Sisters arrived to take his place: Sister Innocenta Gierszewicz, Sister Augustyna Skibińska and Sister Blanka Szwonka. Sister Innocenta, who became the Mother Superior, ordered the renovation of the chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Częstochowa. The altar was funded by Consul-General Kazimierz Kurnikowski. Thanks to the renovations carried out at the Polish House, six people were able to live there permanently: two consulate staff members, three sisters and the chaplain. At that time, the hospice had seven guest rooms set aside for pilgrims. Although the sisters had moved into the basement of the Old House, giving up their own rooms for the pilgrims, there were still far too few beds. Consequently, Sister Innocenta began raising funds to extend the building and construct an additional wing. The sisters organised collections amongst pilgrims visiting the Holy Land, sent letters to the Polish diaspora in America asking for support for the project, ran outpatient clinics and produced their own medicines.

The New Polish House
The sisters’ efforts culminated in the purchase of a 2,200 m² plot of land in 1933. However, the investment was so costly that for the next few years there were insufficient funds to commence any construction work. From 1936, the Arab–Jewish conflict intensified, which had a negative impact on tourism – and thus on the running of the Polish House – but also on the safety of the sisters living there and the consular representatives. With the outbreak of the Second World War, Polish refugees began arriving in Jerusalem, highlighting the urgent need to build a new Polish House. The immediate impetus for this was the deployment in 1940 of the Carpathian Rifle Brigade to Latrum, 35 kilometres away. The architectural plans for the new Polish House were reviewed by General Władysław Sikorski, Bishop Józef Gawlin and Father Colonel Jan Brandys. Construction began in 1940. The Carpathian Brigade provided invaluable assistance; they played a significant role in financing the hostel, but also built it themselves and used military vehicles to transport building materials. Construction was completed in December 1943 with the consecration of the Chapel of Our Lady Help of Christians. The new hospice comprised 36 rooms, a chapel, a dining room, a kitchen and a pantry. Both Polish Houses served as centres for pastoral care, but also became meeting places for the officer corps. It was in the new Polish House that the mourning ceremonies following the death of General Władysław Sikorski in 1943 took place. The Sisters also looked after the numerous Polish refugees who were staying in Jerusalem at the time.

After the war
In 1947, part of the new Polish House was converted into a hospital for patients with lung diseases, whilst another part was occupied by the military liquidation staff preparing soldiers to leave Palestine. In 1948, the First Arab–Israeli War broke out. Unfortunately, both Polish Houses suffered severe damage as a result of this conflict. After the war ended, a ceasefire was agreed, leading to the partition of Jerusalem; as a result, the old Polish House came to be within the Kingdom of Jordan, whilst the new one was in Israel. The constant tension between Jordan and Israel made any contact between the Polish Houses completely impossible. This situation persisted for nearly 20 years, until the reunification of Jerusalem in 1967.

Today
The Sisters of St Elizabeth continue to run both Polish Houses to this day, which are open to individual pilgrims and organised groups. The continued operation of these centres bears witness to the difficult fate of the Polish nation, but also stands as a testament to the determination of both Father Marcin Pinciurek and the Sisters of St Elizabeth.