The church graveyard contains the grave of Konstancja Anastazja Łubieński, the owner of the village, a writer, and a columnist, a friend of Adam Mickiewicz.

History

The village of Budziszewko was mentioned by written records for the first time in 1365 as “Budziszewo”. The ownership of the estate was granted by King Casimir the Great to Przecław of Margonin from the Grzymała family, a judge from Poznań. The new owners took a new family name — Budziszewski — from the name of the village. In the 18th century, the owners of Budziszewko were the Tomicki family, in the 19th century — the Łubieński family. A parish in Budziszewko was mentioned for the first time in documents dating from the 14th century. The first mention concerning a church comes from the 1st half of the 15th century. In the 17th century, the church in Budziszewko was managed by the parish in Skoki. It became an independent parish again in 1958.

The Church of St James the Apostle was erected in 1755. It was founded by Władysław Tomicki, miecznik (“sword-bearer” — an honorary title) of Greater Poland. In 1831, Konstancja Łubieński’s daughter — Maria Tekla Łubieński, whose godfather was Adam Mickiewicz, Konstancja’s friend, who was visiting Greater Poland at that time — was baptised in the church. The church was restored in 1871 owing to the efforts of Stanisław Łubieński; the next renovation works were carried out in 1905 and 1960. In 1878, the church was taken away from Catholics by the Prussian owner of the estate, von Treskow, who sought to demolish the old church. By court judgement, the church was returned to the local Catholics and 1905, it was consecrated again. During World War II, it was devastated by German youths, e.g. its altars were severely damaged. Moreover, the Germans robbed the church of liturgical vessels, candlesticks, altar crosses, copes, chasubles, a monstrance, a pipe organ, banners, and bells. The church underwent full-scale renovations in the years 1959-1960: the walls were partially replaced and their structure was reinforced with metal components and new ceilings were constructed, among other things.

Description

The village of Budziszewko is located 18 km to the east of Obornik. The church stands in a square in the centre of the village, by a road from Studzieniec, lined with lime trees, from which a road leading to the palace of the Łubieński family diverges in the south direction. Opposite the church, there is a park and a former pastor’s house of the von Treskows, currently used as a rectory.

The church is a wooden building having partially a log structure and partially (following the 1960 renovations) a steel structure. It has one nave (with no aisles) and is oriented to the east. The church has a Latin cross floor plan: the single nave is adjoined on both sides by lower chapels terminating in flat walls, which form a transept. The chancel, terminated semi-hexagonally and adjoined by two sacristies, is lower than the nave. On the west side, there is a tower having a post-and-beam structure covered with weatherboards, topped with a sheet metal pyramid hipped roof with a cross. The gable roof over the nave, covered with sheet copper, is surmounted by an octagonal steeple topped with a lantern with an onion-shaped sheet metal cupola. Inside, there are e.g. Baroque confessionals, a Baroque main altar, and Rococo side altars. The nave and the chancel have one flat ceiling decorated with cove moulding. The music gallery, equipped with a pipe organ from 1905, was itself constructed in 1960. It has a steel structure. There is a crypt below the chancel.

The church is surrounded by a wooded graveyard having an area of 0.17 ha, containing e.g. a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary set upon a column and graves of the 19th-century owners of Budziszewko — the Łubieński family: Konstancja née Bojanowski, her husband Józef, who fought in the Napoleonic Wars, and their son, Franciszek. Konstancja Łubieński née Bojanowski, widely known due to her love affair and friendship with Adam Mickiewicz, kept up correspondence with the great poet till the end of her life. The surface of the plaque commemorating her person has worn off, which is why it is positioned back to front. However, the words of the epitaph are known: „Konstancja Wodpol née Bojanowski p’voto Łubieński -— To a citizen who faithfully served the country -— Endowed with abundant noble virtues — Loving God and Motherland above all else — the Best Mother, her grateful children, asking the passer-by for a prayer to God for her soul. Eternal rest grant unto her, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon her. Amen. She died on 16 January 1867, at the age of 69.”

The church can be visited from the outside. Holy Masses: Sunday at 8.00 and 12.00; weekdays: 18.00; holy days suppressed of obligation or transferred to another day: 18.00. Patron Saint Day: St James the Apostle, 25 July.

compiled by Tomasz Łuczak, Regional Branch of the National Heritage Board of Poland in Poznan, 16-11-2015.

Bibliography

• Katalog zabytków sztuki w Polsce, t. 5, Woj. wielkopolskie, red. Ruszczyńska Teresa, Sławska Aniela, z. 15, Pow. obornicki, opr. Galicka Izabella, Kaczorowska Irena, Sygietyńska Hanna, Warszawa 1965, s. 1-2.
• Kościół w Budziszewku, Karta ewidencyjna zabytków architektury i budownictwa, opr. |Maria Kępińska, 1983, w zbiorach WUOZ w Poznaniu.
• Kościoły drewniane w Wielkopolsce, red. Mariusz Grzebalski, Poznań 2004, s. 154.
• Wielkopolska. Słownik krajoznawczy, red. Łęcki Włodzimierz, Poznań 2002, s. 34.
• Łukaszewicz Józef, Krótki opis historyczny kościołów parochialnych w dawnej diecezyi poznańskiej, t.1, Poznań 1858, s. 421.
• Kozierowski Stanisław, Szematyzm historyczny ustrojów parafjalnych w dzisiejszej archidiecezji poznańskiej, Poznań 1935, s. 353-354.
• http://kosciolydrewniane.pl - odsłona z listopada 2015 r.