Łódź (Lódź), Diocese of

ŁÓDŹ (Lódź), Diocese of. - In Poland, founded in 1920. Suffragan of Warsaw; the first bishop was Wincenty Tymieniecki.

Over an area of 6040 sq km it has 1,100,000 inhabitants, of whom one million are Catholics; 138 parishes served by 238 diocesan priests and 76 regulars, 17 male religious communities and 62 female; 1 institute of education for boys and 3 for girls, 20 works of charity and welfare (Ann. Pontificio, 1951, p. 252). Diocesan priests who perished during the German occupation: 128 in prison or in concentration camps. In the 14th century L. belonged to the bishops of Włocławek (Władysława), and in the 15th century it was elevated to the rank of city. From the 19th century it was one of the main centers of the textile industry, for which it was called the "Polish Manchester." At Pabjanice there are a Gothic church of St. Matthew, from 1588, and a 15th-century castle in the style of the Italian Renaissance. At Piotrków there are: a Gothic church of Our Lady from the 14th century; a church and cloister of the Dominicans from the 14th century; a former Bernardine church from the 17th century; a church of St. Francis Xavier from the 18th century; a 14th-century castle; a town hall from 1580. From the 15th to the 17th century Piotrków was the seat of several synods, and in 1577 the laws of the Council of Trent were promulgated there. From the 15th century the Sejm (Parliament) assembled at Piotrków, and from 1578 it was the seat of the royal tribunal.

Adam Macieliński