History

The parish in Świedziebnia was first mentioned in historical records in 1564, which is when a wooden church was constructed. The third quarter of the 17th century saw the construction of another wooden church, consecrated in 1715, which burned down in 1875 along with all fixtures and fittings.

The current brick church was erected in the years 1876–1879, likely based on the design of L. Gosławski, an architect from Płock. It was officially consecrated in 1879 by A. Gintowt  Dziewałtowski, the suffragan bishop of Płock. The Parish Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross in Świedziebnia is part of the Roman Catholic Parish of St Bartholomew in Świedziebnia. In 2015, the painted decorations on the ceiling by the Drapiewskis and the frescos around the main altarpiece were renovated. The roofing was replaced and stained glass was fitted in the church windows.

Description

Świedziebnia is a village located near the route from Brodnica to Rypin, approx. 14 km north-east of Rypina. The church is situated on a small hill in the central part of the village. The land around the church and the graveyard was surrounded with a low stone fence with a brick entrance gate dating back approximately to the fourth quarter of the 19th century. By the south façade of the church, there is the grave of Józef Niemojewski (1769-1839) – the governor of the Śrem District and a general of the Kościuszko Uprising and the Duchy of Warsaw.

The Neoclassical church is oriented towards the east and was built on a Latin cross floor plan with a square tower to the west, a transept and a chancel with semi-circular termination to the east. The body of the church comprises three elements: the chancel, the massive nave body with a transept and the impressive four-storey tower at the front.

The church is made of brick and covered with plaster, the façades are adorned with pilasters, which flank window and door openings, and topped with a narrow frieze and a four-stepped crowning cornice. The front (west) façade follows a three-axial layout with a tower on the central axis. The ground floor level features a central main portal surmounted by an oculus. The middle section features a window opening on the axis and volute-shaped gables flanking the tower and is topped with a cornice with semi-circular joining. The top section has bell openings and is topped with a bulbous cupola.

Notable fixtures and fittings include the main altarpiece and the two side altarpieces from c. 1879. There are folk procession floats with a sculpture of St Barbara from the 19th century and with paintings of Sts Catherine and Valentine from c. mid-19th century. Other fittings include a Baroque crucifix from the 18th century, Baroque folk angels from the 18th century and folk crucifixes from the 18th-19th centuries. There are also two chalice: a Late Renaissance one from the first half of the 17th century and a Regency one from c. 1730. The reliquary from 1877 features the marking of Norblin, a goldsmith from Warsaw. The eclectic monstrance from c. mid-19th century features the marking of Poznań as well as a monogram reading “J B” and the surname Brygier (likely the name of the goldsmith). In the apse of the chancel, there is a wall painting created by Zbigniew Łoskot.

The church is open during service.

Marzenna Stocka, National Heritage Board of Poland, Regional Branch in Toruń, 09-03-2018

Bibliography

• Katalog Zabytków Sztuki w Polsce, Vol. XI: Województwo bydgoskie, issue 12: Powiat rypiński, Tadeusz Chrzanowski and Marian Kornecki (eds.), Warszawa 1971, p. 24
• Załuski Walenty, Szkic monograficzny kościołów dekanatu rypińskiego Diecezji Płockiej, 1909, pp. 53-55