Skalka nad Váhom - the oldest pilgrim place in Slovakia
The site consists of two objects: Malá Skalka and Veľká Skalka
MALÁ SKALKA
- a two-tower church built in the Romanesque style is mentioned for the first time in 1208. The church was dedicated to St. Benedict.
Later (in 1520), Juraj Thurzo built a chapel in its place to honour St. Dorothy . In 1679, a new altar was built – to honour the Virgin Mary of Čentochovská. The Jesuits would extend the chapel in 1745 into today’s form and added two towers. Two statues of the hermits of St. Andrew-Svorad and Benedict (from 1924) decorate the main altar. P. Emil Prokop produced the wall painting of the saints (1983).
VEĽKÁ SKALKA
- small church, monastery, and cave. The church was built in 1224, in the Gothic style. In 1664, the whole facility became administered by the Jesuits who reconstructed it, and in 1717 built a new chapel to St. Andrew-Svorad and Benedict, adding a new cupola and a tower. Entrance to the original cave of the hermits leads from the monastery.
Repairs and reconstructions:
The whole nation participated in the reconstruction of Skalka, completed in 1924. The reconstruction was approved on the day of ordination of the first Slovak bishops, December 13, 1921. Damaged small church on Malá Skalka was reconstructed thanks to the Nitra bishop, Dr. Karol Kmeťko. Several thousand people gathered at Skalka on the day of the church’s dedication (in 1924). Dr. Karol Kmeťko, Ján Vojtaššák, and Rudolf Misz celebrated the Holly Mass. Later, a Catholic service was held, attended and greeted by the canonist, Dr. Jozef Buday, and the Pope’s officer, Andrej Hlinka.
First restorer of the monastery on Veľká Skalka was a Trenčín abbot – father Ľudovít Stárek (in 1852-53).
Other repairs to this pilgrimage place were done after several-year intervals (in 1951 and in 1982).
Currently, there are ongoing reconstruction works on the monastery, which was destroyed in the 70ties by hooligans. Destroyed were the chapel, the outer court, and the cave. Today, Masses can again be celebrated in the chapel, with the possibility to visit the cave.
Many others have also significantly contributed to the restoration of Skalka:
Jozef Branecký (the Piarist provincial in Trenčín), ThDr. Vojtech Hromník, Jozef Vojtech Grach, generous lord Ernest Omachel, as well as local administrators : generous lord Pavel Uhrín, generous lord Ján Hevera, generous lord Jozef Púchovský.
Besides July 17, pilgrimages to Skalka used to be organised also on the day of St. Mark, and the day of Ascension of Virgin Mary (August 15).
Believers from other villages would start filling the square in Trenčín since the early morning. Following the Holy Mass – around seven thirty in the evening, the procession would make their way toward Skalka. The cross was carried in the front, followed by the young people, then the priest. At the head of the procession was the Ostrihom bishop, or the Nitra bishop, the city church officer, etc., assisted by 8 priests. The whole procession would walk all the way there and back. They were followed by the lord the Trenčín castle and his suite. Behind them was the mayor with the whole magistrate. All were dressed in black. All walked under the banner of the city. After the magistrate came the guilds, each with their own banner. First we had tailors, then the goldsmiths, drapers, shoemakers, millers, butchers, carpenters, cobblers, woodworkers, furriers, masons, potters, hatters, brewers, bakers. People of individual villages with their banners and priests came after the guilds. Thousands of people would periodically attend these pilgrimages. And they still do today.
Photo: Mesto Trenčín
MALÁ SKALKA
- a two-tower church built in the Romanesque style is mentioned for the first time in 1208. The church was dedicated to St. Benedict.
Later (in 1520), Juraj Thurzo built a chapel in its place to honour St. Dorothy . In 1679, a new altar was built – to honour the Virgin Mary of Čentochovská. The Jesuits would extend the chapel in 1745 into today’s form and added two towers. Two statues of the hermits of St. Andrew-Svorad and Benedict (from 1924) decorate the main altar. P. Emil Prokop produced the wall painting of the saints (1983).
VEĽKÁ SKALKA
- small church, monastery, and cave. The church was built in 1224, in the Gothic style. In 1664, the whole facility became administered by the Jesuits who reconstructed it, and in 1717 built a new chapel to St. Andrew-Svorad and Benedict, adding a new cupola and a tower. Entrance to the original cave of the hermits leads from the monastery.
Repairs and reconstructions:
The whole nation participated in the reconstruction of Skalka, completed in 1924. The reconstruction was approved on the day of ordination of the first Slovak bishops, December 13, 1921. Damaged small church on Malá Skalka was reconstructed thanks to the Nitra bishop, Dr. Karol Kmeťko. Several thousand people gathered at Skalka on the day of the church’s dedication (in 1924). Dr. Karol Kmeťko, Ján Vojtaššák, and Rudolf Misz celebrated the Holly Mass. Later, a Catholic service was held, attended and greeted by the canonist, Dr. Jozef Buday, and the Pope’s officer, Andrej Hlinka.
First restorer of the monastery on Veľká Skalka was a Trenčín abbot – father Ľudovít Stárek (in 1852-53).
Other repairs to this pilgrimage place were done after several-year intervals (in 1951 and in 1982).
Currently, there are ongoing reconstruction works on the monastery, which was destroyed in the 70ties by hooligans. Destroyed were the chapel, the outer court, and the cave. Today, Masses can again be celebrated in the chapel, with the possibility to visit the cave.
Many others have also significantly contributed to the restoration of Skalka:
Jozef Branecký (the Piarist provincial in Trenčín), ThDr. Vojtech Hromník, Jozef Vojtech Grach, generous lord Ernest Omachel, as well as local administrators : generous lord Pavel Uhrín, generous lord Ján Hevera, generous lord Jozef Púchovský.
Besides July 17, pilgrimages to Skalka used to be organised also on the day of St. Mark, and the day of Ascension of Virgin Mary (August 15).
Believers from other villages would start filling the square in Trenčín since the early morning. Following the Holy Mass – around seven thirty in the evening, the procession would make their way toward Skalka. The cross was carried in the front, followed by the young people, then the priest. At the head of the procession was the Ostrihom bishop, or the Nitra bishop, the city church officer, etc., assisted by 8 priests. The whole procession would walk all the way there and back. They were followed by the lord the Trenčín castle and his suite. Behind them was the mayor with the whole magistrate. All were dressed in black. All walked under the banner of the city. After the magistrate came the guilds, each with their own banner. First we had tailors, then the goldsmiths, drapers, shoemakers, millers, butchers, carpenters, cobblers, woodworkers, furriers, masons, potters, hatters, brewers, bakers. People of individual villages with their banners and priests came after the guilds. Thousands of people would periodically attend these pilgrimages. And they still do today.
Photo: Mesto Trenčín
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