History of the site

The foundation of the temple relates to the Mariavite Church - a fraction of the Christian denomination formed in Poland at the turn of the 20th century, based on the revelation of the Divine Mercy supposedly experienced by the Polish nun, Feliksa Kozłowska, who following the revelations of 1893 took on a mission to cure the ills of the Polish clergy.

The construction of the church in Cegłów was preceded by a religious split that took place in this village in 1902. The then parish priest of the Roman Catholic church, Rev. Bolesław Wiechowicz, joined the community of Mariavites, followed by the majority of parishioners. For the purpose of this community, a large, Gothic Revival parish church was built in the years 1905-1907 (at first the rectangular nave was built, followed by rectangular side chapels and the tower; the entire building was buttressed). The Mariavite parish church in Cegłów was formally founded later, only on 5 July 1909, during the first meeting of parishioners attended by 1543 persons. During that meeting the assembly chose Rev. Bolesław Wiechowicz as their parish priest and Rev. Józef Szymanowski as his assistant. The first board was also selected at that time, composed of: Zygfryd Horbatowski and Józef Jędrejas.

In 1966 the church burned down in a fire. The roof truss, the ceiling surmounting the nave and the wooden structure of the tower interior were completely destroyed. A year later, during the reconstruction, a reinforced concrete roof and tower structure was applied, while a ceiling over the nave was supported by three pairs of reinforced concrete pillars. In 1970 the church roof was covered with new sheet metal cladding, while in 1979 the walls were dried through the application of electroosmosis.

Site description

The church is situated in the central part of the village, to the south of the main market. It is located within a wooded church graveyard surrounded by a brick, plastered wall. Around the church there is a metal cross funded by the parishioners and a plaque commemorating the establishment of the parish. The church is not oriented towards the east and was erected on a stone foundation. The walls are made of brick and plastered inside. The roofs are clad in sheet metal, while the tower cupola in cement tiles. The external walls are buttressed and partially plastered.

The building was erected on a Latin cross floor plan, has three naves, four bays, a chancel facing the north and a basement underneath parts of its structure. To the north, a slender tower built on a rectangular floor plan adjoins the nave and features a porch on the ground floor. The tower is adorned with a medallion representing two angels and pinnacles located at the corners of the roof. There are rectangular chapels on both sides of the nave, of the same height as the main body. The southern part hosts residential rooms. The nave is covered with a gable, single-ridge roof. Lower gable roofs stretch above the chapels. The church corners terminate in tall pinnacles. The roof is adorned with a steeple (jutting from the roof ridge above the chancel). The temple’s interior is partitioned by four pairs of profiled columns made of reinforced concrete. The vault and the walls are painted white. The altarpiece is sumptuously decorated and represents Gothic Revival architecture. A commemorative plaque is incorporated into the building’s wall, commemorating the hundredth anniversary of the Work of Divine Mercy bestowed upon the sister Maria Franciszka Kozłowska.

Visitor access. The building is accessible to visitors during masses and following previous arrangements with the parish priest in Cegłów.

Author of the note: Jerzy Szałygin, National Institute of Cultural Heritage, Regional Branch in Warsaw, 04-12-2017

Bibliography

• Record sheet of monuments of architecture The Mariavites Church, prepared by Bożena Stanek, Jerzy Libera, IV. 1982.
• St. John the Baptist Parish in Cegłów (Old Catholic): https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parafia_%C5%9Bw._Jana_Chrzciciela_w_Ceg%C5%82owie_(starokatolicka) (19.05.2023)