The parish of Limanowa was established in 1513 by Achacy Jordan, who built the town’s first wooden church that burned down in 1769. The second wooden church built in its place in 1779 survived until 1909. The current church was the initiative of the then parish priest as a votive offering commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Constitution of 3 May 1791. The construction lasted from 1910 to 1918. The church was dedicated on 6 October 1918 and consecrated on 6 October 1921. It is an example of the national trend in the art that originated from tradition, culture and patriotism. The church has three naves and an elaborately furnished interior. The Polish and national character of the shrine is expressed in its polychromes, stained glass windows, sculptures and altars. On 28 May 1991, Pope John Paul II granted the title of a Basilica Minor to the church. A miraculous statue of Our Lady of Sorrows (Pieta) is venerated in the church. On 11 September 1966, archbishop Karol Wojtyła crowned the Pieta with a papal crown and, after the crown was stolen in 1981, he again crowned the miraculous statue as pope John Paul II during an event at the Krakow Błonia on 22 June 1983.