Ever wondered how a church rises from fields and marshy meadows? The story of Kościół Najświętszej Maryi Panny Matki Miłosierdzia begins in the late 1970s. It was a time when the Stegny district was on the edge of Warsaw.
Kościół Najświętszej Maryi Panny Matki Miłosierdzia began with Father Franciszek Opieczonek. He arrived in Stegny in November 1978. Soon other priests joined him. In 1979 the Marian Fathers got permission to build. The location was in central Stegny. It was on Bonifacego Street. Previously fields and wetlands stretched out here. People had been buying land and building houses since 1960.
Initially a simple barrack served as a church. It also housed catechetical rooms and living quarters for the priests. The first Mass was celebrated on August 31 1980. The chapel was consecrated on September 7. Bishop Józef Sielski officiated. He was the Superior General of the Congregation of Marian Fathers.
The final construction plan was approved in August 1981. Excavation work began soon after. Jan Bogusławski, Jerzy Bogusławski and Krzysztof Dyga were the architects. Construction progressed quickly. By 1983 the walls reached the intended roof height. On November 13 1983 Bishop Władysław Miziołek laid the cornerstone. This stone came from Saint Peter’s tomb in Rome. Pope John Paul II himself had blessed it.
The parish of Kościół Najświętszej Maryi Panny Matki Miłosierdzia was established on March 27 1982. It is located at 9 Bonifacego Street. Father Tadeusz Mierzwiński became the first parish priest. The parish grew fast. In autumn 1984 the administration of the Polish Province of the Congregation of Marian Fathers moved to Stegny.
Christmas 1986 marked a milestone. The first Mass was celebrated in the upper church of Kościół Najświętszej Maryi Panny Matki Miłosierdzia. The church structure was complete. However the interior still needed work. Plans were made for lighting pews and Stations of the Cross.
Cardinal Józef Glemp consecrated the upper church on March 29 1987. He was the Primate of Poland. In 1988 a chapel dedicated to Blessed Jerzy Matulewicz was completed. He was the renewer of the Congregation of Marian Fathers. The bell tower was finished in 1989. Three bells were installed on April 1 1992. They are named Blessed Jerzy John Paul II and Mother of Mercy. Their sounds were first heard during the Resurrection Mass on April 19.
Cardinal Józef Glemp consecrated the entire Kościół Najświętszej Maryi Panny Matki Miłosierdzia on May 31 1993. The church became a visible sign of God’s presence among the faithful. Since August 2017 Father Marek Otolski has been the parish priest. He and his fellow priests care for the spiritual well-being of the parish.
Today Kościół Najświętszej Maryi Panny Matki Miłosierdzia stands as a testament to faith. It also shows the dedication of its community. From humble beginnings it rose to become a spiritual beacon in Stegny.