First project The plans to build a church in the district of Siernieczek was a result of the booming demography of the eastern parts of Bydgoszcz. From 1890 to 1914 and during the
interwar period, these industrial suburbs, organized into 5 areas (Siernieczek, Brdyujście, Jasiniec, Kapuściska, Czersko) welcomed around 5,000 workers in nearby factories. The inhabitants were predominantly Polish and Catholic. After 1920, these plots were incorporated into the city of Bydgoszcz. However, the nearest churches remained out of reach: downtown
St. Martin and Nicholas or St. Nicholas' Church in
Fordon were located at least away. Furthermore, Siernieczek district was divided between two parishes in different dioceses: • a parish belonging to
archdiocese of Gniezno for houses adjacent to Kapuściska, Czersko districts; • a parish belonging to
diocese of Chełmno for houses adjacent to Brdyujście and Jasieniec districts. On April 8, 1923, Stanisław Cichosławski, a civil servant, established the "Association for the Construction of the Church of Siernieczka and the Surroundings" (). The patron of the project was Father Tadeusz Skarbek-Malczewski (1873-1929),
pastor of Bydgoszcz Cathedral. The association had 68 members and its board comprised senior officials and industrialists living in the area: Local citizens and workers initiated the construction of the church in June 1923: the Association reported that 107 men, 16 women and 54 children worked on the construction site. They started with the demolition of the former police station, then laid down the
building foundations followed by the base of the
church tower and the
sacristy. A the end of 1923, the half-finished building was covered with a roof. On May 18, 1924, the church tower was completed: it was solemnized by a mass celebrating the blessing of the cross. On October 6, 1924, the construction site was visited by
Stanislaw Kostka Łukomski then
auxiliary bishop of
Poznań. In 1999, Antoni Świadek was
beatified by
Pope John Paul II. Eventually, a
parish was established at the Church of St. Stanisław of Szczepanów and Martyr on October 1, 1946, by a decree of
Cardinal August Hlond. The first
incumbent was Father Jan Więckiewicz, who died in 1947, leaving the parish without a minister till 1948. His successors in this position were: • Father Józef Batkowski (1948-1957) ran many building projects. One can cite, among others, a catechetical room at the presbytery, a fencing around the cemetery, the construction of the
arcade porch and a new
pipe organ. He renovated the interiors and the heating in the church and the presbytery. He had the bell tower erected and the bells, named after St. Stanisław and
Saint Joseph, blessed on May 8, 1950. Finally, he welcomed several
sisters of Saint Elizabeth at the parish from 1952 to 1957, working as catechists and organists. Father Batkowski's merit was to organize the parish life in the difficult
Stalinist period, with the dissolution of all church associations ordered by the authorities at the end of 1950; • Father Tadeusz Pomin (1957-1971) renovated the interiors and the pipe organ. In 1966, he set up a
mission cross but failed to get the consent of the authorities for the expansion of the church. The same authorities filed a lawsuit against him and several other priests, which lasted for four years and ended with acquittal of the accused; • Father Józef Kozłowski (1971-1974) had new heating installed in both the church and the presbytery, and a first sound system mounted; • Father Konrad Hildebrand (1974-1993) carried out a major renovation of the church tower and roofs, which included paving the external ambulatory, setting up a new electrical installation, renovating the interior floor, the conciliar altar, the
pews and the external
plasters. He died in this post and was buried in the parish cemetery in October 1993; • Father Narcissus Wojnowski (1993-2008) carried out a major renovation of the presbytery and the church, installed a new
altar,
stained glass windows and
church tabernacle; • Since 2008, Father Janusz Tusk is the current minister. On May 7/8, 1995, a
pontifical mass has been celebrated Bishop
Bogdan Wojtuś to commemorate the 70 years of the existence of the church in Siernieczek. == Architecture ==