The church stands on gen. W. Sikorski Street in Old Fordon, the eastern part of Bydgoszcz.[5]
History
After the First Partition of Poland in 1772, German Protestant settlers established themselves in Fordon. An independent Evangelical community was founded in 1822 with about 2,000 members from 36 nearby villages.[6][7]
Construction began on 16 October 1878 and was completed in November 1879.[1] The church was consecrated on 27 November 1879 by Consistorial Superintendent Taube of Bromberg.[1]
In 1945, as the German Protestant population departed, the church was taken over by municipal authorities and used as a grain warehouse and later a clothing storehouse.[8] In the 1970s, the building faced demolition due to deterioration, but efforts by Fr. Stanisław Grunt of St Nicholas Church preserved it.[9] In 1983, it was officially transferred to the Catholic Church, fully renovated, and re-consecrated by Bishop Marian Przykucki on 1 November 1985.[10] In 1990, the Catholic parish of St John was formally erected.[11]
Architecture
The church is a three-nave basilica with an east-facing chancel, a polygonal apse, and a tall southern tower topped by a hexagonal spire.[2] Its exterior is buttressed and features pointed-arch windows and rose windows.[2] The tower and sacristy were added in the early 20th century.[12]
The original fittings included two bronze bells and a pipe organ built by Wilhelm Sauer of Frankfurt (Oder).[2] A 21,000-mark loan was obtained to fund construction, partially repaid by the Prussian state.[13]
Interior
The interior retains its Protestant heritage with wooden galleries empora. The side aisles have flat ceilings, while the main nave features a sloping roofline. In the 1990s, Catholic liturgical furnishings, including pews, confessionals, and a tabernacle, were added.[14] In 2001, exterior illumination was installed.[15] Three bells cast by the Kruszyński foundry (450 kg, 250 kg, 170 kg), named Mary, John the Apostle, and Thomas, were installed in 1995.[16]
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