Five Saints Brothers church in Bydgoszcz

About

The Church of the Holy Polish Brothers Martyrs is a Catholic church that has been elevated to the rank of a sanctuary. It houses the relics of the "Five Saint Polish Brothers". In 1984, Father Jerzy Popiełuszko celebrated his last Holy Mass there before being abducted and assassinated by members of the Security Service. The church is located at 3 Jerzego Popiełuszki street, in the Wyżyny district of Bydgoszcz, Poland.

The first efforts to build a Catholic church in the area (today's Kapuściska and Wyżyny districts) date back to the interwar period.

Before 1939, a church building committee had been established in Kapuściska district: the aim was to build on the escarpment of the southern bank of the Brda river, mirroring the 1925 Saint Stanislaus of Szczepanów's Church on northern bank (Siernieczek district). However, the outbreak of WWII prevented any further development of the plan.

After the war (1946), the catholic church of " Saint Joseph the Craftsman in Bydgoszcz" was created in the southern suburbs, from a former Evangelical church, in Toruńska street.

In the following decades, Kapuściska (1950s) and Wyżyny (1960s-1970s) districts saw a dramatic increase of their residents, thanks to the many housing estates erected. However, the state authorities did not approve of any erection of new parishes, following a nationwide movement. To mitigate the decision, Primate Stefan Wyszyński had taken the initiative to support the creation of pastoral centers on Polish territory: one of them was built in Wyżyny area.

Eventually, in 1973, after many efforts, the authorities granted the construction of a new church in Bydgoszcz. The project aspired to honor the memory of Bydgoszcz victims of Nazi terror. Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński was the initiator of the construction of the Holy Polish Brothers Martyrs church. The plan design was commissioned to Leopold Taraszkiewicz, a specialist of sacral construction from the Gdańsk University of Technology and carried out by engineer Tadeusz Lisiewicz from Bydgoszcz. Interiors were designed by Kazimierz Gąsiorowski from Warsaw and realized by Bydgoszcz engineer Henryk Misterek.

The municipal authorities designated a plot at Szpitalna street: the foundation works comprised the manual drilling of 250 15 metres (49 ft) piles into the ground, which took almost a year.

On August 15, 1976, the parish dedicated to the "St. Polish Brothers Martyrs" was created. Its parson was Father Romuald Biniak, who was in charge of supervising the construction of the church. It was the first parish in Bydgoszcz to receive a building permit since the end of the second World War. In Primate Wyszyński's decree, one can read: "This temple is to commemorate for eternity all nameless Poles who gave their lives for faith and homeland, and were not elevated to the altars." From the beginning, the construction was performed using without any participation of construction companies and the workforce was provided by volunteers, workers, engineers, constructors and artists. Together, they dug out 6,500 tonnes (1,020,000 st) of material from the site.

The rectory was first built in 1977. On April 15, 1978, the cornerstone of the future church was laid: the ceremony led by the Primate of Poland Stefan Wyszyński was attended by 30,000 inhabitants. The stone block comes from the foundations of the cathedral in Gniezno. It is still visible nowadays, embedded in the eastern wall between the church and the Chapel of the Memory.

On June 10, 1978, the first chapel was erected (Chapel of the Visitation of the Mother of God ) and called the small church. On the same day, the site was visited by the picture Black Madonna of Częstochowa : despite a fierce opposition of the communist authorities, the procession was followed by several thousands of people. A replica of the Black Madonna, realized by Maria Torwirt from Toruń, has been installed on the altar in memory of this day.

The construction resumed towards northern and southern surrounding sites. Next edifices to be completed were the church tower and the main amphitheater with its upper gallery. On September 18, 1980, Primate Stefan Wyszyński consecrated the cross and the bells that were to be mounted on the church tower.

The first Holy Mass on the site was led by Cardinal Józef Glemp on December 18, 1982. The same Cardinal Józef Glemp solemnly consecrated the new church on November 23, 1986.

In 1986, a house for the Grey Ursulines serving in the parish was built on the site.

The first efforts to build a Catholic church in the area (today's Kapuściska and Wyżyny districts) date back to the interwar period.

Before 1939, a church building committee had been established in Kapuściska district: the aim was to build on the escarpment of the southern bank of the Brda river, mirroring the 1925 Saint Stanislaus of Szczepanów's Church on northern bank (Siernieczek district). However, the outbreak of WWII prevented any further development of the plan.

After the war (1946), the catholic church of " Saint Joseph the Craftsman in Bydgoszcz" was created in the southern suburbs, from a former Evangelical church, in Toruńska street.

In the following decades, Kapuściska (1950s) and Wyżyny (1960s-1970s) districts saw a dramatic increase of their residents, thanks to the many housing estates erected. However, the state authorities did not approve of any erection of new parishes, following a nationwide movement. To mitigate the decision, Primate Stefan Wyszyński had taken the initiative to support the creation of pastoral centers on Polish territory: one of them was built in Wyżyny area.

Eventually, in 1973, after many efforts, the authorities granted the construction of a new church in Bydgoszcz. The project aspired to honor the memory of Bydgoszcz victims of Nazi terror. Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński was the initiator of the construction of the Holy Polish Brothers Martyrs church. The plan design was commissioned to Leopold Taraszkiewicz, a specialist of sacral construction from the Gdańsk University of Technology and carried out by engineer Tadeusz Lisiewicz from Bydgoszcz. Interiors were designed by Kazimierz Gąsiorowski from Warsaw and realized by Bydgoszcz engineer Henryk Misterek.

The municipal authorities designated a plot at Szpitalna street: the foundation works comprised the manual drilling of 250 15 metres (49 ft) piles into the ground, which took almost a year.

On August 15, 1976, the parish dedicated to the "St. Polish Brothers Martyrs" was created. Its parson was Father Romuald Biniak, who was in charge of supervising the construction of the church. It was the first parish in Bydgoszcz to receive a building permit since the end of the second World War. In Primate Wyszyński's decree, one can read: "This temple is to commemorate for eternity all nameless Poles who gave their lives for faith and homeland, and were not elevated to the altars." From the beginning, the construction was performed using without any participation of construction companies and the workforce was provided by volunteers, workers, engineers, constructors and artists. Together, they dug out 6,500 tonnes (1,020,000 st) of material from the site.