St. Matthias the Apostle and St. Margaret Parish in Bednary

The Parish of St. Matthias the Apostle and St. Margaret the Virgin and Martyr in Bednary is a Roman Catholic community located in the Diocese of Łowicz, encompassing towns such as Arkadia, Janowice, and Sierzchów. The history of the parish dates back to 1357, when Archbishop Jarosław Bogoria Skotnicki separated a number of villages from the parish in Łowicz due to the difficult access to the church caused by frequent flooding from nearby rivers. The first church, built from larch wood on a pagan burial ground, featured five altars, including one with an image of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Over the years, the church underwent numerous reconstructions; between 1686 and 1696, the presbytery was built, and in the late 19th century, a new brick church was erected. The second church was destroyed by the Germans during World War II. After the war, under various parish priests, the church was repaired and modernized, and in 1978 it was decorated with polychrome in the regional Łowicz style. An interesting fact is that the German cemetery in Bednary was dismantled, and a parking lot was built in its place. The parish is affiliated with the Łowicz-Katedra Deanery, and since 2003, the parish priest has been Fr. Józef Paciorek.