Golden Jubilee of the Parish in Bydgoszcz’s Wyżyny District
Last Saturday (12 September), celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the Holy Polish Martyr Brothers Parish were held at the Sanctuary of the New Martyrs in Bydgoszcz’s Wyżyny district. Vice-Marshal of the Region Zbigniew Ostrowski took part in the ceremony and presented the parish priest, Monsignor Józef Kubalewski, with the Marshal of the Voivodeship’s Gold Medal, Unitas Durat Palatinatus Cuiaviano-Pomeraniensis.
The Holy Polish Martyr Brothers Parish was established on 15 August 1976 by Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński. Its patronage itself carried a special significance. As stated in the founding act, it was intended as a tribute to the residents of Bydgoszcz murdered in 1939 and to all victims of the martyrdom of the Polish nation. Established in the newly developed Wyżyny housing estate, the parish quickly became not only a centre of religious life, but also an important place for shaping civic and patriotic attitudes.
The history of the parish is inseparably linked with the activities of the Workers’ Pastoral Ministry, which played a particularly important role within the Bydgoszcz Solidarity movement in the 1980s. During martial law and communist repression, the church provided a space for meetings, prayer and the formation of people involved in activities in support of freedom and human rights. It was here that social circles developed which, after 1989, helped build free trade unions and the reborn system of local government.
A special place in the history of the parish is held by Blessed Fr Jerzy Popiełuszko. It was in this church, on 19 October 1984, that he celebrated his final Mass before being abducted and murdered. Today, the sanctuary preserves numerous mementoes connected both with his ministry and with key events in the history of Bydgoszcz and Poland.
In his address, Deputy Marshal Zbigniew Ostrowski emphasised the exceptional significance of the Bydgoszcz parish:
– We are celebrating the jubilee of a place which, in the history of our homeland, became something far greater than just an architectural landmark on the map of Bydgoszcz. It became a living stronghold of freedom, faith and human dignity.
He also recalled the role of the church in Poland’s recent history:
– It was here, within the walls of today’s Sanctuary of the New Martyrs, that the heart of Bydgoszcz’s anti-communist opposition beat. It was here that the legendary Workers’ Pastoral Ministry taught wise and responsible patriotism and formed the people who, after the breakthrough of 1989, took on the task of building free trade unions and the restored system of local government.
Today, the parish remains an important place on the map of the region, combining remembrance of the past with social and charitable activity. The community runs, among other things, the Blessed Fr Jerzy Popiełuszko Hospice, supports people in need and preserves the legacy of values that have shaped this exceptional place in Bydgoszcz’s Wyżyny district for half a century.
Marshal’s Office
15 September 2026
