Church of St Stanislaus Kostka in Szczecin

The Church of St Stanislaus Kostka stands on Mother Teresa of Calcutta Square in Drzetowo-Grabowo. It is a neo-Gothic brick church, built in 1888-1890 as the Protestant Church of Peace (Friedenskirche).

Construction

Efforts to obtain a church in Grabowo go back to 1843. The building site was bought in 1874, and the design that was built to was made in 1882 by the Berlin building councillor Hermann Bohl. The foundation stone was laid on 18 September 1888, and the solemn consecration took place on 21 May 1890. The interior was decorated with polychromes with quotations from the Scriptures, stained glass and rich furnishings. The sculptural and painted decoration was designed by Professor Friedrich Pfannschmidt. Three bells were hung in the tower.

Destruction and rebuilding

Carpet-bombing raids on 11 April and 30 August 1944 destroyed about 70 per cent of the church: the top of the tower collapsed, the roof burned and the vaults fell in. In the first years after the war demolition was planned. It was opposed by believers arriving from the former eastern lands of Poland, and the decision was reversed in 1948. The church was given the dedication of St Stanislaus Kostka, and after rebuilding it was blessed on 16 July 1949. The reconstruction of the tower with its clock was completed in 2000.

The interior today

By 1987 the neo-Gothic vaults had been recreated, and in 1988 a floor of Albanian marble was laid. The stained glass was designed by Brunon Tode. The bronze and marble elements of the altars were made by the Kraków sculptor Czesław Dźwigaj: the main altar shows a procession of Polish saints to the Eucharistic Jesus, and in the altar of St Stanislaus Kostka there are reliefs of Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński and Father Jerzy Popiełuszko.

Mother Teresa in Grabowo

On 10 June 1987 Mother Teresa of Calcutta was a guest in the house adjoining the church. From that day the Sisters Missionaries of Charity began their mission in Szczecin, hence the name of the square.

Practical information

• Address: Mother Teresa of Calcutta Square 6, Szczecin.
• Mass times and the possibility of visiting are given by the parish.

About a kilometre from the square lies the Chrobry Embankment.

Next to it is the National Museum in Szczecin.