Kościół pw. Świętego Kazimierza Królewicza (ul. Grzegórzecka)
Churches of Kraków
Church (Roman Catholic), Grzegórzki district. Architect: Franciszek Mączyński.
History
The parish of St Casimir in Grzegórzki was established on 27 January 1928, and the church at 78 Grzegórzecka Street is its main church. The faithful did not wait for the church walls, however. In 1926-1928 a Catholic House was built in Grzegórzki, and its large hall was converted into a temporary chapel. The first Mass was celebrated there on 8 December 1928, and for years afterwards it served the residents of Grzegórzki and Dąbie as their parish church.
Construction of the church proper began in 1933 with the setting up of a community committee, and the City Council gave a plot of land for the purpose. Work began in the spring of 1934, with the parishioners themselves lending a hand. The foundation stone was blessed on 7 July 1934 by the Metropolitan of Kraków, Cardinal Adam Stefan Sapieha. The design of the three-aisled modernist church was prepared by Franciszek Mączyński.
The church was not yet finished, but there were fears that the German occupation authorities would seize the building, so Cardinal Sapieha blessed it on 27 October 1940. The solemn consecration did not take place until after the war, on 26 September 1948, performed by Bishop Stanisław Rospond. In those years the parish was led by Monsignor Jan Mac: he was parish priest from 1930 to 1942 and then from 1945 to 1972. During the occupation he hid from the Gestapo in Babica, and his duties were taken over by Father Jan Matyasik.
Did you know?
From 1958 to 1963 one of the curates of this parish was Józef Tischner.