Church of Christ the King in Lutkowo

The church in Lutkowo, the filial Church of Christ the King in the centre of a village in Stargard County, is a Neo-Gothic brick building of 1907. It was built as a Protestant church after a fire in 1894. Inside, uniform furnishings of 1907 have survived, with Neo-Gothic and Art Nouveau motifs and folk patterns.

From a fire to a new church

The first mention of a church in the village dates from 1490. The old building, most probably of erratic boulders, had a pulpit altar with images of saints and a carved crucifix. In 1894 part of the church, the village and the presbytery burned down. In 1894-1907 preparations and rebuilding took place, and the church in its present form was opened in 1907. A fragment of the tower wall survived from the old building. The brick was supplied by Kruger's brickworks of Trzebiatów. Until the end of the Second World War it was a Protestant church, and on 25 October 1945 it was consecrated as a Catholic one, dedicated to Christ the King.

Interior

From 1907 come the altar with a crucifix, the pulpit decorated with a grapevine motif, the gallery, the pews, a brass candelabrum, and the window and door joinery. On the wooden elements a plant tendril, birds, Eucharistic symbols, the Lamb and images of St Peter and St Paul were painted. The stained glass was made by the Szczecin workshop of B. Schultze. The organ has a three-part case, but lacks pipes. There are three bells: one bronze of 1907 and two cast-iron ones, with inscriptions in German.

Surroundings

Around the church is a disused churchyard from the first half of the 19th century, with an area of 0.6 hectare, surrounded by a stone wall with gateways. On the square stands a monument to the inhabitants of the village who fell in the First World War, a mission cross and a natural monument, a small-leaved lime. A boulder in honour of the former inhabitants of the village has also been placed by the church.

Practical information

• Location: Lutkowo, centre of the village. The church is a filial church of the parish in Długie.
• Check the service times with the parish.

In the area, about 2.4 km further on, lie the Lutkowo Ponds.