The town of S. lies in the western part of Slovakia, north of Bratislava, not far from the Morava River and the Austrian border. From 1564, devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows began in the small votive church. The present grand sanctuary dates from the years 1760–70, built in the Baroque style with an adjoining convent of the Pauline Fathers, now occupied by the Salesians. On the high altar stands the miraculous statue of Our Lady of Sorrows, a work of popular art; the image is greatly venerated throughout Slovakia. S. is a pilgrimage site throughout the year, especially on 15 September, the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows, the national patroness.
BIBL.: Katolische Slovensko (Slovacchia cattolica), Trnava 1933, pp. 451–54.