The foundation of the monastery is connected with a figure of king Władysław Jagiełło’s knight – Wacławek, who in reward for his loyalty and courage became the owner of these lands. With the help of the Bernardine monks he built a wooden church here and in its altar he placed a figure of St. Catherine (Św. Katarzyna), who became the patroness of the temple and the nearby village. A later stone church, built by bishop Jan of Rzeszów between 1471 and 1478 for the glory of the Holy Trinity, stands probably in the place of Wacławek’s temple. Next to it, the bishop ordered also to build a hermitage for the Bernardine monks. In 1534 the buildings were destroyed by a fire and their reconstruction took more than ten years. Fortunately, in the early 17th C., due to king’s donations, a favouring economic situation allowed for the development of the sanctuary. The church gained a new organ and a mechanical clock has been installed on its tower. A burial graveyard, established there in 1723, after bishop Szaniawki’s consent, existed until 1824.

The consecration of the object started in 1478 when the necessary documents were signed in the nearby castle in Bodzentyn and, in just two years, the object became consecrated. At the same time, it became a shrine of its patroness and her wooden image. Many extraordinary accidents, which could be considered miraculous, took place in here, e.g. prince Władysław, the later king of Poland – Władysław IV Waza (Władysław IV Vasa), was miraculously healed in here. Unfortunately, in the 16th C., the monastery and the church were severely damaged by a fire. Almost everything, beside the patroness’ image, was burnt down. The rebuilding took several years, but finally, on the 20th of July 1539, the sanctuary was one more time consecrated by bishop Piotr Gamrat. In 1815 the monastery was passed to the Bernardine Sisters from Drzewica who had nowhere to go after a fire of their cloister. After the November Uprising the monastery became a place of seclusion for women. In the end of the 19th C. another fire completely destroyed the complex, including also the historic figure of the patroness. The reconstruction was made in several stages and again took many years.
Nowadays, the monastery has no particular architectural style, only the viridary from 1633 is purely Renaissance. The entrance leads through several small galleries. Inside, the only vestige of the previous furnishing is the painting of Madonna from the 16th C. The figure of St. Catherine is probably only a copy of the one lost during the last fire. The original had been brought here from North Africa.
The Bernardine Sisters still reside in the Święta Katarzyna monastery. They avoid contact with the outside world and live according to the monastic principle of working and praying in silence.

An obligatory stop during a tour through the region.