{
  "id": 1270159,
  "title": "Europe’s tallest Virgin Mary statue unveiled in rural Poland",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/16/europes-tallest-virgin-mary-statue-unveiled-in-rural-poland-1270159",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-16T12:42:40.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "MyJoyOnline Ghana",
    "slug": "myjoyonline-ghana",
    "url": "https://www.myjoyonline.com/europes-tallest-virgin-mary-statue-unveiled-in-rural-poland/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A 55.6-metre concrete statue of the Virgin Mary, believed to be Europe's tallest, was formally unveiled in a small Polish village on Saturday. The monument, located in rural Konotopie, is nearly twice as tall as Rio de Janeiro's Christ the Redeemer statue and significantly shorter than the 98-metre Virgin Mary in the Philippines. The consecration ceremony coincided with the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The decision to erect the statue in a remote field, miles from major population centers, stems from its commission by a local millionaire couple. During the ceremony, two helicopters dropped rose petals onto the Virgin Mary, perched atop a large crown with open arms. Bishop Krzysztof Wętkowski, who consecrated the statue, urged attendees to look towards God and heaven, stating that contemporary people often focus too much on themselves. The bishop spoke to a crowd gathered in the field, including Lech Wałęsa, who played a pivotal role in Poland's transition from communism to democracy and credited his Catholic faith for his fight against the regime.",
  "summary": "A statue of the Virgin Mary believed to be Europe's tallest has been formally unveiled in a small Polish village.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}