Church of Saint Alexander in Suwałki

Church of Saint Alexander in Suwałki
Church of Saint Alexander in Suwałki
Ecclesia Sancti Alexandri Suwalkiensis
Konkatedra św. Aleksandra w Suwałkach
	54°6′7″N 22°55′36″E / 54.10194°N 22.92667°E
Location	Suwałki, Podlaskie Voivodeship
Address	ul. Emilii Plater 2, 16-400 Suwałki
Country	Poland
Denomination	Catholic Church
Website	https://aleksandersuwalki.pl/
History
Dedication	Saint Alexander
Architecture
Functional status	active
Architect(s)	Ch. P. Aigner; H. Marconi
Style	Classicism
Years built	1819-1829
Specifications
Number of towers	2
Administration
Diocese	Roman Catholic Diocese of Ełk
Clergy
Vicar(s)	Jacek Łukaszewicz; Adrian Sadowski;
Deacon(s)	Stanisław Dziemian; Krzysztof Gładkowski;

Church of Saint Alexander in Suwałki (Polish: Konkatedra św. Aleksandra w Suwałkach) is a is a Roman Catholic parish church belonging to the Suwałki deanery of St. Benedict and Romuald of the Ełk diocese. It is located on Józef Piłsudski Square.

Since 2021, the parish priest of St Alexander's Church has been Antoni Skowronski.^[1]

History

In November 1815, Tsar Alexander I passed through Suwałki to attend his coronation in Warsaw, and seeing the decaying church leaning towards ruin, he ordered the construction of a brick church dedicated to St Alexander to be funded. On 23 July 1819, Suwałki was visited by the Governor of the Kingdom of Poland, General Józef Zajączek. On 20 June 1820, the cornerstone was consecrated, and in that year construction began on a classicist brick church, designed by architect Piotr Aigner. The church was being built as a future cathedral, as at the same time efforts were underway to move the bishop's residence from Sejny to Suwałki. On 14 September 1829, the first mass was celebrated in the new church.^[2]^[3]

Between 1843 and 1845, a general renovation of the church was carried out according to a design by the architect Enrico Marconi. On 14 September 1945, the Bishop of Sejny, Pawel Straszynski, consecrated the church dedicated to St Alexander. In 1856, the church towers were added. In 1872, a brick house was purchased for the vicarage. In 1881, the chapel of the Saviour Jesus Christ was added on the east side, and in 1883 the chapel of St Anne was added on the west side and In 1888 a sacristy was added.^[2]^[3]

On 22 October 1944, the retreating Germans mined the church - causing severe damage. After the war the church was rebuilt, and in 1961 the church towers were rebuilt. On 25 March 1992, Pope John Paul II with the bull Totus Tuus Poloniae Populus (English: All Thy people in Poland) erected the diocese of Elk, and then, by the decision of Bishop Wojciech Ziemba, the church was raised to the dignity of a concathedral. On 4 July 2002, a storm and rain damaged the church. In 2002-2003 the church was renovated.^[3]

Inside are paintings by Franciszek Smuglewicz and plaques commemorating the struggle and martyrdom of the Suwałki region's inhabitants.^[4]