The administrators of the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Gietrzwałd have issued an official statement in response to growing controversy surrounding the recently completed renovation of the historic statue. Some faithful and internet users suggested that the sculpture had been swapped or subjected to unauthorized modifications, including the alleged "addition of shoes" and changes to facial details. Clergy categorically deny these reports, emphasizing that the current appearance is the result of restoring the sculpture's original 1877 form.
Rejection of substitution allegations
The sanctuary administrators categorically denied suggestions that the historic statue of the Virgin Mary had been replaced with a copy or modified.
Return to the 1877 original
The conservation work in 2025 aimed to remove later accretions and reveal the sculpture's original form.
Dispute over visual details
The greatest emotions were stirred by the "new shoes" and changes in the facial appearance, which triggered a wave of misinformation on the Internet.
The atmosphere around the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Gietrzwałd, the only site in Poland of Marian apparitions officially recognized by the Catholic Church, has become tense following the completion of conservation work on the historic statue. The sculpture, located in the apparition chapel, underwent a thorough renovation in 2025 due to its poor technical condition. Upon its return, a heated discussion erupted on social media. Critics accuse the conservators of the statue looking different than before the work, pointing to details such as the footwear or facial features. The sanctuary authorities, represented by the religious order, issued a sharp correction, assuring that "no shoes were added" and that the statue is precisely the same object that was placed in Gietrzwałd on September 16, 1877. They explained that during the renovation, secondary layers of paint and plaster, which had distorted the artist's original intent for decades, were removed. The current appearance, though surprising to many, represents a return to the authentic original from nearly 150 years ago. The apparitions in Gietrzwałd took place from June 27 to September 16, 1877, with two teenage girls as the main witnesses. This was a period of intense Germanization under Prussian rule, which gave the events not only a religious but also a national-liberation dimension. The clergy appeal for calm and to refrain from spreading misinformation that undermines the sanctity of the place of worship. The conservation was carried out under the supervision of specialists, with the main goal being to protect the sculpture from further degradation. „The statue currently in the chapel is exactly the same one that was placed in this location on September 16, 1877.” — Sanctuary Statement 149 years — is the age of the historic statue from Gietrzwałd The case of the allegedly swapped statue is another example of how social media can trigger an image crisis for a religious institution through unconfirmed theories. The sanctuary emphasizes that the conservation documentation confirms the historical continuity of the object.