Hołynka (Галынка)

The church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross was built of brick in 1714 and initially functioned as a Uniate church. It was rebuilt in 1922. It is a monument of neoclassical architecture. Above the belfry there is a delicate tent lantern-tower. Inside the church there is a prayer room with an ogival vault and three altars. The church is located in the center of the village.

In 1714, a Uniate parish was founded in Hołynka, founded by Count Chreptowicz, and construction of the church began. The Uniate parish operated in Hołynka until 1875, when the union was deleted in the Kingdom of Poland. In the years 1875 - 1915 the temple was handed over to the faithful of the Orthodox religion. In 1915, German troops enter Grodno. The Orthodox priest is evacuating. Until 1918, due to the lack of a priest in the temple, no services were held.

In January 1919, a Roman Catholic priest, Fr. Mateusz Płauszczynajtys. Fr. Mateusz sacrifices the temple. A Roman Catholic parish is being created in Hołynka. In the summer of 1919, Fr. Mateusz, together with masters and parishioners, renovate the church. In 1921, Fr. Piotr Brzózka. In the years 1921–1922 two wooden sacristies were added to the temple, which are later plastered and whitewashed. The church dome was removed and a tower was built instead. The church in the Hołynka parish received the following dimensions: 23.5 m long and 8.5 m wide. At the beginning of 1922, the church is enriched with three altars, which were founded by: Mr. Bolesław Kulmaczewski, owner of the estate in the village of Hołynka - the main altar, the Third Order of St. Franciszka - altar on the right, by Mr. Józef Kozłowski from the village of Komisarzewo and Mrs. Kunda from the village of Kołakowszczyzna - the altar on the left. In the church there are statues of St. Teresa, Saint. Wojciech and St. Stanislaus.

In the main altar there was placed: a figure of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, made of plaster; paintings of the Virgin Mary with the Baby Jesus and the "Last Supper", painted in oil paint. At the main altar on the stands there were placed two figures: St. Peter and St. Paul, bought from the financial contributions of the entire Hołynka parish. The right altar of St. Franciszek Seraficki has a statue of a saint made of plaster. In the left altar an image of the Scapular Virgin Mary was placed. On July 16, 1922, Fr. Bishop Romuald Jałbrzykowski, then Sejny Sufragan came to the parish. Priest Bishop consecrated the temple and put in altair's menza relics of the holy martyrs Donat and Bonose.

In 1925, priest Marian Szumowski becomes a rector of the parish, superseded in 1933 by priest Aleksander Kowalewski. In 1936, the church was covered with galvanized steel sheet. In June 1936 a fire started with a lightning strike. The presbytery, two parish barns and houses of parishioners burnt down. In the years 1937-1938, Fr. Alexander begins to rebuild the presbytery. On August 26, 1937, the ordinary of the diocese Fr. bishop Stanisław Kostka-Łukomski comes to the parish and places in the altar's menza the relics of the martyrs of St. Constantine and St. Victoria. In 1938 a new priest was sent to the parish, Fr. Władysław Krasowski, who completed the construction of the presbytery. However, after the occupation of Hołynka by the Soviet army in 1939, the presbytery was taken to the post of the Border Protection Forces. In 1947, Fr. Władysław Krasowski was arrested. He was in prison in Irkutsk until 1954. The church in Hołynka did not have a priest in yesrs 1947–1989. The church was closed by the state authorities, several times the keys from the temple were taken from the faithful, but zealous believers earned them again and prayed in the temple, regardless of financial penalties. In 1958, Fr. Józef Nowosadko, priest of the Teolin parish, celebrated Mass three times. You had to have have a permit for each visit to Hołynka. These three Masses were the only exception for the entire church closing period.

On December 20, 1988, the state authorities registered the parish and gave permission for a Catholic priest to come to Hołynka. First Mass in the recovered church was celebrated by priest Witold Łozowicki, rector of the Teolin parish (Sopoćkinie) on Christmas Eve December 24, 1988. On April 9, 1989, Fr. Łozowicki became a rector of this parish. Ks. Witold manages the works after the renovation of the temple and the church area. The fence around the church is renewed and four chapels were built for the feast of Corpus Christi. From May 10 to September 10, 1990, the tower was rebuilt and the church was renovated. On September 16, 1990, Fr. Bishop Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz visited the Hołynka parish. The bishop dedicated a 500-kilogram bell, a tower and a monument to the murdered residents of the parish from 1939-1945. The author and the main contractor of the monument was Mr. Henryk Zaniewski from Grodno.