Elisabethan monastery in Jablunkov

The Convent of the Sisters of St. Elizabeth in Jabłonków is a still-active convent of the Catholic Elizabethan sisterhood in Jabłonków (Czech: Jablunkov), in the Moravian-Silesian Region of the Czech Republic, close to the Polish border. The complex stands on the Antóniczek hill and for most of its history functioned as a hospital run by the nuns.

How did the convent in Jabłonków come to be founded?

The story of the sisters' presence in Jabłonków goes back to the mid-19th century. It was the local parish priest, Father Vavřinec Piontek, who arranged for nuns to come to the town, wanting to provide care for the sick who otherwise had no access to help. He turned to the Sisters of St. Elizabeth in nearby Cieszyn (Těšín), who sent Sister Bonaventura to Jabłonków. She arrived on 23 September 1851, and that date is regarded as the beginning of the Elizabethan sisters' presence in the town.

Where did the first convent stand, and why did it have to be replaced?

At first, Sister Bonaventura cared for the sick in a small house, which quickly proved too small for the growing number of patients. The decision was made to build a proper convent combined with a hospital, and construction ran from 1853 to 1855. The convent chapel was consecrated on 23 September 1861 — exactly ten years after Sister Bonaventura's arrival in the town.

This first building stood on the bank of the Olza (Olše) river, which at the time was not yet regulated. As a result, the convent was regularly flooded during heavy storms and high water, with water sometimes reaching the first floor. The resulting damp and mould inside the building took a toll on the sisters' health, which eventually led to the decision to find a new site altogether.

How was the new convent on Antóniczek hill built?

Construction of the new convent on Antóniczek hill began in 1926. The first stage of the project — a hospital building named St. Elizabeth's Institute — was completed in May 1928. The sisters continued the same work there that they had carried out in Jabłonków without interruption since 1851: caring for the sick and the infirm.

What happened to the convent under communism?

The convent's fortunes changed after the Second World War. From 1 January 1951, all the convent buildings, including the church and the surrounding property, were nationalised by the state. The hospital the sisters had run was renamed the State Lung Sanatorium for Women, and the nuns lost control of the institution they had built up over the previous century.

How does the convent function today?

The political changes at the turn of the 1980s and 1990s allowed the sisters to resume their work in 1990. A year later, in 1991, the convent's property was returned to them through restitution. Within a few months of regaining the buildings, the sisters opened St. Elizabeth's Home, a care facility for the elderly, which still operates today — continuing a tradition of caring for those in need on this site that stretches back to the mid-19th century.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is the convent of the Sisters of St. Elizabeth in Jabłonków located? The convent stands on Antóniczek hill in Jabłonków, in the Moravian-Silesian Region of the Czech Republic, close to the border with Poland.

Who founded the convent in Jabłonków? The local parish priest, Father Vavřinec Piontek, arranged for the sisters to come to the town, and the first nun to arrive, in 1851, was Sister Bonaventura, sent by the Sisters of St. Elizabeth from Cieszyn.

Is the hospital still operating at the convent? No. After decades of nationalisation and changes in use, the former convent hospital now operates as St. Elizabeth's Home, a care facility for the elderly run by the sisters.

Is today's building the same one the sisters settled into in 1851? No — the original convent stood by the Olza river and was repeatedly damaged by flooding, which is why a new building was constructed on Antóniczek hill between 1926 and 1928; the sisters have been based there ever since.