Viliam Maretta

“They began to take away priests. We had a good parish priest, so we defended him. They took him directly from school. Then someone came to tell us this news from Vyšný Kubín, what is about three kilometers from Dolný Kubín. They kidnapped him right from the school and in the meantime they searched his house. They took him to Vyšný Kubín, where the police station was. A man came to inform my father about what had happened and since my father was very active and ardent for justice, he quickly mobilized whole crowd of people. He even called up a former communist who owned a car and used to sell vegetables for living. Subsequently this man gathered so many people using his car, but unfortunately, he was also arrested, imprisoned and even sent to the labor camp.”

“He was also interrogated in Ružomberok, right before Christmas. They tried to influence him psychologically, saying: 'Look, nice holiday is behind the door, everyone, and surely including you, is looking forward to this great season of the year. And you know what? What would you do if for example someone approached the factory with the intention to blow it up?' My father said: 'Well, I would pull out all the stops to stamp such a man out!' And that's what they liked about him, that he would have been so devoted to act this way. Then they gave him a paper and requested: 'Sign it!' And after my father read it, he told them: 'Well, I shall sign that if I find here, or if you add here, a note that I won't have to act against the Ten God's Commandments. Then I sign it.' 'Oh, we cannot do that, since it's an official document. We cannot add there anything else.' Thus my father said: 'Then I can't sign it!' 'Well then you stay here!' So he stayed there during the Christmas. I went to the station in vain. I hoped they would release him and I could accompany him home.”