Jozef Habovštiak

“There were two periodicals being published: Posol Božského srdca (The Sacred Heart Messenger) and Kráľovná svätého ruženca (Queen of the Holy Rosary). In these editorial offices they already knew what was happening in Russia. To tell the truth, the whole world and Europe were becoming nuts of Russia, moreover, there were many high government officials in Europe and even in the USA, who sympathized with Russia and saw many solutions for their countries, precisely in the social sphere. However, everything was quite different. The catholic circles had their own people there and wrote in the periodicals what was really going on in Russia. Therefore, our people knew very well that when the Russians had come, what would’ve been here. They predicted we would be under Russians; they would take over our fields, cattle, and livestock; that we would have to work on joint property; that the churches were to be closed, priests imprisoned, and the church liquidated. It all came true. It is typical. I later spoke with many even educated people, diplomats and others… but none of them predicted such situation. They were unable to estimate that, didn’t believe that could ever happen, as if they completely lived in illusions.”

“Then they came in 1950, what was exactly on All Saints Day, the people were at home already, it was fall. The priest’s house is near the cemetery. Suddenly, a car parked there. The people noticed, police came to take the priest away, so they gathered together and freed the priest. There was also some shooting. For our people, who returned from the war such vagabonds meant nothing. They hit their hands and shooting was over. These people drove the policemen out of the village. However, yet later that night, they came again as they had informers among the locals. They told on everyone defending the priest. So they came on trucks and busses, the whole village was surrounded by police and militia, they passed the curfew, expelled people from the church and arrested the priest right from the confessional. Back then, they arrested 40 people, tried them and sentenced those, who participated in this action to several months up to one year. They took them to Ružomberok prison, where they were treated harshly.”