Blessed Iwo Odrowaz
Iwo Odrowaz became the Bishop of Cracow, in 1218, after Vincent Kadlubkon. In the year 1222, the Bishop of Krakow, Iwo Odrowaz, handed the village of Mogi³a (Nowa Huta now) over to the Cistercians who raised a Gothic - Romanesque Church of the Assumption of Our Lady and St Wenceslas. The construction of the church, consecrated in 1266, continued with interruptions till 1350. In the garden, there is the so - called Square of John Paul II, with an altar for open - air religious ceremonies and the statue the Way of the Cross.
The Cistercian Monastery and Church - The Church of the Assumption of Our Lady and St Wenceslas. There were major overhauls of the church in the 18th century, after the fire of 1743. The was a new façade in 1780, and Baroque redecoration of the interior in 1790. Numerous historic paintings and sculptures are preserved in the church; their number includes the crucifix in the chapel of the Holy Cross venerated since the Middle Ages, and Renaissance painting by Stanis³aw Samostrzelnik. The monastery, built in the 13th century, underwent numerous reconstructions. Preserved are its Gothic cloisters; adjacent to the monastery is the house of the Abbot from mid - 15th century and the Abbot's Palace (1569).
The northern part of the village of Mogila continued to develop along Klasztorna Street until the year 1951 when the village was incorporated into Krakow.
Iwo Odrowaz was Bishop until 1229. While he attended the Lateran Council, in 1215, he asked St. Dominic for recruits to his diocese. In turn St. Dominic asked for students. As a result, Bishop Iwo sent St. Hyacinth and Blessed Chester, who were both canons, to Italy.
Iwo's older brother, Eustachius, was the father of Hyacinth and Ceslas. Eustachius was the Count of Konski, and his sons were born in Castle Lanka, near Breslau, Silesia. Iwo's father, Pauli of Tarczel~ (d. 1210), was a general in the fierce battle against the Tartars.
Iwo Odrowaz was responsible for the preliminary education of his nephews, Hyacinth and Ceslaus. He sent Hyacinth to the University of Prague, and Bologne.
Written and researched by Margaret Odrowaz-Sypniewska, B.F.A.
