THE PIARIST ORDER
IN SLOVAKIA
Comenius 2013-2015
Table of Contents
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Slovakia in the 17th century
Arrival of the piarists
Slovak piarist churches and monasteries in
the Hungarian province
Establishment of the Province of Slovakia
Today's situation
Slovakia in the 17th century
Slovakia: integral part of the Habsburg Kingdom of Hungary.
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1.
2.
3.
Three important
events:
Turkish
expansion
Anti-Habsburg
uprisings
Conflict between
Catholics and
Protestants
Podolínec
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In 1642 piarists
from Poland came
to Podolínec.
This first
community gave
rise to all the
current centralEuropean
provinces.
Piarist schools spread step by step from Podolínec to
Prievidza, Brezno, Sv. Jur, Nitra, Krupina, Ružomberok,
Sabinov, Senec, Banská Štiavnica, Trenčín and Levice.
Their mission was to provide free education for poor
children.
In 1721 all the
houses in the
Slovak territory
became part of the
Province of
Hungary.
Difficult beginnings
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Churches or
monasteries were
often damaged or
destroyed by the fire.
Lessons used to be
cancelled because of
epidemics or wars.
School facilities and
monasteries were
usually used as
accommodation for
soldiers during the
war.
Age of Enlightenment
Reforms of
Empress
Maria
Theresa and
her son
emperor
Joseph II had
a significant
impact on
school
system.
Maria Theresa founded Collegium oeconomicum in
Senec, first higher school of engineering in Hungary and
assigned the Piarists to lead it.
In Austro-Hungarian Empire
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1848/49
Revolution
Bach‘s
absolutism
AustroHungarian
Compromise of
1867
The network of pious schools reached its maximum.
In total the Piarist order supervised 11 grammar schools
and several piarists lectured at universities and seminars.
Famous allumni
J. Vojtaššák, M. Bubnič,
K. Kmeťko;
bishops:
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priests:
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A. Hlinka, Dr. J. Tiso;
writers:
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J. Nižňanský;
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F. Belopotocký, Ľ. Fulla.
painters:
In Czechoslovakia
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1918 the end of WWI, establishment of
Czechoslovakia
1919 nationalization of piarist schools
1930 foundation of the Province of
Slovakia
1938-1944: short lasting revival during
the Slovak Republic
Under communist regime
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1948: Communists seized power in
Czechoslovakia
May 1950: Barbarous night: Piarist fathers,
brothers as well as students were arrested by
State Security Service and imprisoned in a
concentration monastery in Hronský Beňadik.
Due to Provincial Father Jozef
Horvátik SchP. and his work in
secret, the Piarist order did
not perish and could restart
the Province after 1989.
1993 Foundation of the Slovak
Republic.
Today
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4 monasteries: Nitra, Prievidza, Trenčín and
Svätý Jur
15 priests, 1 deacon, 3 brothers - students
current Provincial Father P. Ján Kováč, SchP.
Piarist churches
Piarist churches in Nitra, Prievidza and Trenčín are listed as
cultural sites and belong to the most beautiful structures of the
Baroque style in Slovakia.
Rich interior decoration
Baroque = drama, tension, exuberance, and
grandeur in sculpture, painting, architecture
Illusive paintings
Nowadays – 3 schools
TRENČÍN
Piaristické gymnázium Jozef Braneckého
4 and 8-year grammar school
NITRA
Piaristické gymnázium
sv. Jozefa Kalazanského
4 and 8-year grammar school
Primary school - new
PRIEVIDZA
Piaristická spojená škola Františka Hanáka
Primary school, Grammar school,
Secondary professional school, Nursery school
Statistics
3
schools
140
teachers
1500
students
Calasanzian sports games
Calasanzian forum
Each year one of the
piarist school hosts
Calasanzian forum –
teachers‘meeting
Piarist order „online“
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www.piaristi.sk
History of the order in
Slovakia.
Presentation of the
Province of Slovakia.
Presentation of all the
activities organised by
the Piarist order or
piarist schools in
Slovakia.
Planned activities.
Kalazans
summer
camps
concerts
spiritual
events and
renewals
sports
events
courses
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Children and Youth association
Lay organization connected
with the Piarist order.
International community
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The Piarist Youth Meeting
(PYM) 2013 in Kecskemét
with the participation of
Slovak piarist students.
Meeting of piarist clerics
from Italy and Central
Europe in Dolný
Smokovec in 2013
To be continued...
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"The good education of youth is
indeed a most worthy ministry,
the noblest, the most worthy, the
most beneficial, the most useful,
the most necessary, the most
natural, the most reasonable, the
most pleasant, the most attractive
and the most glorious.“
St. Joseph Calasanz
Thank you for your attention