St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Warsaw

The Parish of St. Michael the Archangel in Warsaw, part of the Mokotów Deanery in the Archdiocese of Warsaw, was established on November 20, 1917. Its history dates back to the 1850s, when construction began on the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, initiated by the pastor of St. Alexander's Parish, Jakub Falkowski. The solemn consecration of the church took place on September 8, 1856, and the design was the work of Ignacy Leopold Essmanowski. This was the first church built in Mokotów and it survived most of World War II, but was completely destroyed during the Warsaw Uprising. Only the bell tower, façade, and chapel remained. In the following years, from 1945 to 1959, a temporary structure was erected in front of the façade, and from 1950, construction of a new church, designed by Władysław Pieńkowski, was underway and completed in 1966. The solemn consecration of the new church was conducted by Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński. In the 1990s, a new rectory was built, and in 2005, the bell tower was renovated, restoring its original appearance. The Parish of St. Michael the Archangel plays an important role in the life of the local community, combining cultural, historical, and architectural elements, while also bearing witness to many significant events in the history of Mokotów and Warsaw.