The cornerstone a piece of the earth from St Peter’s tomb rests within these walls. This is the Parafia Najświętszej Maryi Panny Matki Miłosierdzia in Warsaw’s Stegny district. Its story began not in grand architectural plans but in the humble beginnings of faith and determination.
Imagine the late 1970s. Stegny was a far-flung area of Warsaw. Fields and marshland stretched where buildings now stand. Father Franciszek Opieczonek a Marian priest arrived in 1978. He was the first. His arrival marked the start of a new parish. A parish dedicated to Our Lady of Mercy.
The construction began in 1979. A simple barrack housed the first chapel. It served as a temporary worship space and a building site office. It also had catechism rooms and living quarters for the priests. The first Mass was celebrated here in 1980. A momentous occasion in the life of this burgeoning community. It was later consecrated by Father Józef Sielski.
The final design for the church was approved in 1981. The foundation work started that same year. The architects Jan Bogusławski Jerzy Bogusławski and Krzysztof Dyga were responsible for this modern marvel. The construction progressed swiftly. By 1983 the walls had already reached the height of the planned roof. That year a cornerstone from Rome arrived. Pope John Paul II blessed this cornerstone. It had been taken from the tomb of Saint Peter.
Officially established on March 27 1982 the Parafia Najświętszej Maryi Panny Matki Miłosierdzia thrived under the leadership of Father Tadeusz Mierzwiński. The first Mass in the completed upper church took place on Christmas Day 1986. This was a significant milestone. It marked the end of the main construction phase. Cardinal Józef Glemp the Primate of Poland consecrated the church on May 31 1993. This act formally dedicated the structure to God. It serves as a tangible symbol of God’s presence among the faithful.
The bell tower was finished in 1991. Three bells were installed in 1992. They are named Blessed Jerzy John Paul II and Mother of Mercy. Their first peal rang out on Easter Sunday of that year. The construction of a chapel dedicated to Blessed Jerzy Matulewicz the founder of the Marian Congregation was completed in 1988. The Polish Province of the Marian Fathers relocated to Stegny in 1984.
Father Bogusław Binda served as parish priest until 2017. The current priest is Father Marek Otolski. He and his team continue to nurture the spiritual well-being of the Parafia Najświętszej Maryi Panny Matki Miłosierdzia. This church stands as a testament to faith perseverance and community spirit. A quiet giant in the heart of Stegny.