The Black Madonna and the Holy Father

We were met in Goerke by Father Josef Chmiel, pastor of the churches at Goerke and Woedtke, who showed us the impressive church across the street from his house on the main road. We did not ask about or find any recent German cemeteries in this town, as we did in Woedtke the following day. However, oddly enough, a single gravestone stands in this churchyard, as in the churchyard at Zedlin. Perhaps these are left as reminders of the former use of the yards.

As you can see, the interior of the church is new. The Stations of the Cross are typical: we saw nearly identical Stations in churches all around Greifenberg.

Views of Goerke from the area near the church.

Father Chmiel is in need of donations for the rehabilitation of the church at Woedtke. Several windows of the Woedtke church are broken and there is some leakage at the foundation. There also needs to be some roof repair. We will put up a site soon showcasing the Woedtke church; those pictures aren't ready, yet.

 Father Chmiel gave us tours of the Woedtke church and the manor house grounds at Woedtke.

A few years ago, a man from Gryfice obtained state permission to rehabilitate the manor house at Woedtke. He maintained a "barracks" on the grounds and began some work in the basement. However, he was not able to afford the repairs; the roof is pretty much gone, so starting at the bottom really accomplished nothing! He has gone away and once again people more or less "camp out" around the manor house. Here you see a "No Trespassing" sign.

More pictures of Woedtke and Goerke to come.

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