Cardinal Francis Macharski in his capacity as Metropolitan Archbishop of the Krakow Metropolitan Archdiocese founded a new parish in the city of Oświęcim on July 1st 1983, placing it under the patronage of Saint Maximilian Maria Kolbe. The Cardinal himself consecrated the newly built parish church on October 9th 1988.
The need for a new parish was obvious as early as 1957 when the population of Oświęcim increased by over 17,000 residents who came from all over Poland to work in the newly-opened chemical plant. Because the overwhelming majority of these new arrivals were Catholic, a committee of lay people was formed under the direction of the Pastor of Assumption Parish located in the center of town. State approval was received on July 8, 1957 for a parish church to be located on a 3.7 acre land site. The land consisted of 15 parcels owned by 45 proprietors, all of whom offered their real estate to the Church. On May 18, 1958 the land was blessed by Monsignor Czartoryski from the Chancery Office who celebrated the first Mass ever in this area of the city and mounted a large crucifix on the site where the new church was to be built. From that day forward the faithful, regardless of the weather gathered at the foot of the cross for May devotions to our Blessed Mother and October rosaries. The crucifix was a constant reminder that on this site there was to stand a church.
In August of 1958 the totalitarian Communist regime set out to thwart all efforts to build a new church. Government authorities liquidated the bank account, confiscated the building materials and claimed the construction site as government property, using it for the construction of apartment buildings and playgrounds. Because these were times of great political repression, ecclesiastical authorities suspended the project of a new church in order to avoid jeopardy of the faithful at the hands of government authorities.
August 1979 - photo by Roman Chowaniec
During his years as Metropolitan Archbishop of Krakow (1964-1978) Cardinal Karol Wojtyła (known today as Saint John Paul II) sent many petitions to State authorities, requesting building permits for new churches. The Cardinal’s evangelical zeal would not allow an unfavorable political climate to deny the faithful their right to a church of their own.
In May of 1977 Monsignor Kazimierz Górny and a group of young priests were sent to Oświęcim by Cardinal Wojtyła and given the task of resuming efforts toward the construction of a new church. The faithful and clergy persevered in petitioning civil authorities for a building permit. A host of written petitions and 96 delegations of parish representatives all met with denial. Nonetheless, the crucifix which had been erected in 1958 became the site of renewed public piety. The children’s rosary prayed daily throughout October of 1977 initiated a chain reaction, resulting in increasing numbers of faithful keeping prayerful vigil night and day at the foot of the cross, regardless of the weather and political harassment from military police officers.
photo by Stanisław Jasieniak
On February 18, 1979 – thanks to the election of Cardinal Wojtyła to the papacy on October 16, 1978 – a permit was issued for the site of the crucifix to become the site of a church. Civil authorities legalized a 1.2 acre construction site on terms of “perpetual lease” and on the 3rd of November 1980 permission was granted to begin construction of a new parish church honoring the martyrdom of Father Maximilian Maria Kolbe.
Przełożyła Sylwia Tempel, Świecka Salwatorianka
