What is worth emphasizing is the integrity of the designed temple, its construction using top-quality materials and its interiors enriched with lavish polychrome and mobile fixtures and fittings, complementing the Gothic Revival nature of the church.

History

The temple was built in the years 1887–1888 according to the design by architect Edward Cichocki. It was consecrated on 28 October 1888 by Prelate Ignacy Durewicz, the parish priest of the Our Lady of Loreto parish in Warsaw. The construction of the church used, among others, resiny pinewood donated by the President of Warsaw, Sokrates Starynkiewicz, which had been initially used as elements of the scaffolding during the renovation of the Sigismund III Vasa Column. The church survived both world wars without any damage. From 1952 it functioned as a parish church until 1960, when the function was taken over by the brick church of Our Lady of Częstochowa, erected in the south-east corner of the graveyard. The first major refurbishment of the temple took place in the years 1991-1993 and in 1995 the parish was honoured with an award funded by the General Heritage Protection Officer for a high level of performance thereof.

Description

The church is located within the Bródnowski Cemetery. Its gable faces the main alley running across the necropolis, while its roof ridge faces Św. Wincentego Street. An asphalt driveway adjoins on the south side.

The building was made of pinewood, in a post-and-beam structure (square timber), reinforced with braces, transoms and raking shores (joined by sockets and tenons), covered with weatherboards on both sides. Its gable roof has a queen post structure and is clad in wood shingles.

The temple building was erected on a rectangular floor plan and is partitioned inside into three naves by two rows of pillars. From the south there is a porch designed on a square floor plan, preceded by a vestibule. On both sides of the porch there are entrances to the tower (also on a square floor plan). The chancel is flanked on both sides by sacristies designed on a rectangular floor plan. A compact block, with high walls of the main body and the tower, is covered with a gable roof transforming into a three-sided roof over the chancel. A small gable roof also rises above the vestibule leading to the porch. Other roofs (over the sacristies and side entrances to the tower) are of a shed type. The gable over the tower is crowned with a steeple, pierced by window openings obscured by shutters and covered with a tented roof crowned with a metal crucifix. The façades are segmented by structural pillars reinforced with braces, transoms and raking shores. The planes between them were covered with vertical or horizontal weatherboards. A roof over the entrance is adorned with openwork panels. The entire wooden material is contrastingly painted brown and dark green.

The church interior (lavishly decorated by polychrome authored by Wiesław Kononowicz) was equipped with three altars. In the main altar, a sculpture by Antoni Panasiuk of Christ Crucified of a natural size was placed against the nighttime panorama of Jerusalem. The side altars include: a painting of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary and of St. Vincent á Paulo.. Two paintings of an unknown author from the 19th century are found on the walls of the chancel. The chancel and the choir gallery rest on wooden pillars. The side altars include paintings of St Vincent á Paulo, the patron of the temple, and the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The building is accessible to visitors during masses and funerals and following previous arrangements with the parish priest.

Author of the note Jerzy Szałygin, National Institute of Cultural Heritage, Regional Branch in Warsaw 01-08-2017

Bibliography

• Encyklopedia Warszawy. Warsaw 1994, p. 375.
• History of the (wooden) church of St Vicent a Paulo in the Bródzieński cemetery , after: http://www.parafiawincentegoapaulo.pl/drew.html
• Record sheet of monuments of architecture Kościół cmentarny p.w. Św. Wincentego á Paulo, prepared by Jerzy Szałygin, Warsaw, 1998.
• Kasprzycki J., Korzenie miasta. Tom III - Praga, Warsaw 2004, p. 193.
• Kościoły Warszawy. Warsaw 1982, p. 227.
• Wilk J., 100 lat cmentarza Bródnowskiego. Marki-Struga 1993, p. 10.