Draft:Saint Anthony of Padua Church, Bydgoszcz

Saint Anthony of Padua Church
Polish: Kościół św. Antoniego Padewskiego w Bydgoszczy
Saint Anthony of Padua Church, Bydgoszcz
Location	15 Głucha street, Bydgoszcz
Country	Poland
Denomination	Catholic Church
Website	https://antonibydgoszcz.pl/
History
Status	Church
Dedication	Saint Anthony of Padua
Dedicated	1 December 1945
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Architect(s)	Stefan Cybichowski
Architectural type	Modernism
Completed	1945
Specifications
Materials	Brick, concrete

Saint Anthony of Padua Church is a catholic church in the Polish city of Bydgoszcz, dedicated to Saint Anthony of Padua.

It is located at 3 Głucha Street, in the western district of Czyżkówko in Bydgoszcz, Poland.

History

Interwar period

Efforts to build a Catholic church in Czyżkówko date back to the interwar period, when the commune was incorporated into the city of Bydgoszcz. In the years 20s of the 20th century, Czyżkówko belonged to the pastoral district of parish of the Holy Trinity, separated from Bydgoszcz parish. However, the relatively large distance to the parish church and the increase in the population of the district created the need to build its own temple, which would meet the growing pastoral needs. In this context, the Church Construction Committee was established (beginning 1923) and the property at ul. Koronowska (currently no. 5) with the intention of converting the dance hall located there into a chapel (November 1923) The chapel was consecrated on February 24 1924 by Father Tadeusz Malczewski. From then on, services were held there on Sundays and holidays, as well as processions, including Corpus Christi.

In 1929 the Church Building Committee asked the Archbishop's Curia to establish a new parish in Czyżkówko. This request was fulfilled by Father Primate August Hlond, who on July 1 1933 erected a new parish under the invocation of St. Anthony of Padua, separating it from parish of the Holy Trinity.

The number of believers was then about 6.5 thousand people, and the parish included settlements located in the west of the city: Czyżkówko and Medzyń and suburban villages: Prądy, Drzewce, Łochowo, Łochowice, Lisi Ogon, Osowa Góra, Opławiec and Smukała. The administrator of the parish was Fr. Jan Baranowski.

The next stage of the parish's development was the construction of the church, which began in 1936 after purchasing land on Głucha Street. The design of the temple, financed by the Archbishop of Gniezno Antoni Laubitz, was made in 1935 by the Poznań architect Stefan Cybichowski. The architect decided not to use the historical styling of the church's elevation, which allowed for reducing the construction costs by 25%. On August 5 1936 a building permit was issued, and the masonry and carpentry works on the construction of the building were carried out by Julian Jarocki's company. Until September 1939 the church stood in its raw state, with an unfinished ceiling and roof. During the occupation, the Germans set up a warehouse for construction tools there, while services were held in the chapel.

Post WWII years

After the end of the war, the devastated, shell-fired church was designated for use by the new parish priest Father Czesław Spychalski. The ceremonial consecration of the new church was performed on December 1 1945. Primate of Poland Cardinal August Hlond, who also donated the relics of St. Francis of Assisi. The finishing works of the temple and the beautification of the interior lasted throughout the post-war period: The following investments were made during this time:

• 1946 – the organ was installed,
• 1948 – chandeliers were purchased,
• 1949 – the pulpit was made with images of St. Adalbert, St. Stanislaus, St. Casimir and St. Andrew Bobola,
• 1951 – Rev. Primate Stefan Wyszyński solemnly consecrated the organ and the main altar,
• 1957 – the side altar of [[Joseph of Nazareth|St. Joseph] was made,
• 1961 – Rev. Bishop Jan Czerniak consecrated the side altar of Our Lady,
• 1964–1972 – stained glass windows were made in the chancel and along the side aisles
• 1972–1984 – the church was equipped with new pews, confessionalss, lighting, flooring, heating, a figure of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and paintings,
• 1990–2000 – a number of renovation and construction works were carried out, including painting the church, marble flooring with an altar in the chancel, new electric heating, new sound system, gutters, new tabernacle and extension of lighting,
• 2019 – commencement of renovation of the tower and front elevation, including for funds granted by the city authorities for the renovation of historical monuments.

In the building of the new rectory there is a chapel of the Holy Cross, where masses are celebrated on winter weekdays.

Gallery

• Symbolic stones
  Symbolic stones

See also

• Bydgoszcz

Bibliography

• Biniak, Romuald (2010). Sanktuarium Nowych Męczenników, Świątynia Modlitwy i Pamięci. Rok 2010 [Sanctuary of the New Martyrs, Temple of Prayer and Remembrance. Year 2010] (in Polish). Bydgoszcz: Pejzaż. ISBN 9788361641568.

External links

• (in Polish) Website of the parish