The semi-legendary cult was cultivated by locals since the 1300s, when a petty criminal carved a figurine of Mary in the nearby Kętrzyn prison following a Marian apparition.

As Catholicism remained the dominant religion in the nearby of Warmia (Ermland), devotees from across the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth regularly journeyed to the place, particularly from Warsaw and Vilnius.

To this day, the pilgrimage route from the town of Reszel to Święta Lipka is aligned with small Baroque shrines and linden trees, dating back to the 18th century.

Due to the large number of arriving pilgrims, the facility was significantly enlarged over the years and a fortified cloister with domed tower-like chapels was completed in 1708,[12] giving the overall structure a defensive appearance.

The church was further embellished with decoration through donations made by wealthy notables or pious monarchs such as Ladislaus IV, Queen Marie Casimire or Stanislaus I Leszczyński and his wife Catherine.

After World War II, when Warmia-Masuria returned to Poland under the Potsdam Agreement, Święta Lipka was transformed into an important sanctuary, alongside the Jasna Góra Monastery.