The Catholic church of the Discovery of the Holy Cross and the Bernardine monastery in Grodno is one of the most significant and ancient architectural complexes of the city and one of the most recognizable symbols of Grodno. The complex of buildings of the Bernardine monastery, picturesquely located on a hill above the banks of the Neman, is one of the architectural dominants of the historical center of Grodno, which adorns and shapes the panorama of the entire city.

Bernardine monastery was founded in Grodno in the 1490s. Initially, it included a wooden Catholic church and a wooden monastery building. The first stone church on the site of a wooden church was erected from 1595 to 1600. However, it was literally immediately decided to completely restructure it. As a result of a very significant reconstruction and expansion, carried out from 1602 to 1618, a new temple was erected, which has survived to our time. The Catholic church of the Discovery of the Holy Cross was solemnly consecrated by the Vilnius Bishop Eustachy Wołłowicz in 1618. Today it is the oldest Catholic church in Grodno. The appearance of the church and the whole complex bears the features of Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque. In addition to the church, the complex also includes monastery buildings and a bell tower. Over its centuries-old history, the temple has repeatedly suffered from fires and wars. However, every time all the damage was quickly repaired, and the temple was restored and even improved, updated and modernized.

The most significant reconstruction and renovation of the temple dates back to the 1680s. Probably at that time, the bell tower was added to the main facade of the Catholic church of the Discovery of the Holy Cross in Grodno. In the 18th century, a lot of work was carried out in the interior of the temple. It was then that the majority of the most valuable decorative elements of the interior of the temple, which have survived to our time, were created. The Bernardine monastery was abolished in the middle of the 19th century, after which the church became an ordinary parish, and the monastery buildings were converted into barracks. In 1894, in the Catholic church of the Discovery of the Holy Cross in Grodno, the wedding of Eliza Orzeszkowa took place. The church and monastery buildings were badly damaged during the bombing of 1941 at the beginning of the Great Patriotic War. Restoration work was begun during the war, and in 1946 the church acquired its original form. In Soviet times, the department of forensic medicine was located in the monastery buildings. In 1990, the ancient monastery buildings were returned to the Catholic Church, after which the first Higher Catholic Theological Seminary in the modern history of Belarus was created in them. Today the church and the seminary are fully operational.

The interior of the Catholic church of the Discovery of the Holy Cross in Grodno has a very high artistic, cultural and historical value. In its design, an abundance of sculpture, painting, stucco molding, wood carving, cast iron, bronze casting and forging stands out. The interior of the church is decorated with 12 ancient stone side altars, as well as a three-tier central altar of the 18th century. Among the rich mural of the temple, one can distinguish such an unusual decorative element as images of 12 historical figures of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Commonwealth. These images are made in the northern part of the church, while in the southern part of the church there are images of the 12 apostles of Christ. Most of the decorative elements of the temple date from the 18th century, but there are more ancient wall paintings, stucco moldings and altars. The Church of the Discovery of the Holy Cross and the Bernardine monastery are very important cultural and historical monuments, a spiritual and pilgrimage center, as well as one of the most important sights of the city of Grodno.