FIRST NAME

LAST NAME
Saint Demetrius
Greek Catholic Church
Porac, Slovakia

Saint Demetrius Church

Saint Demetrius Greek Catholic Church, Porac, Slovakia

Saint Demetrius Greek Catholic Church was founded in 1640 in the town of Porac, Slovakia. The oldest records we have found for Saint Demetrius Greek Catholic Church date back to 1789.

Gospel Book Gospel Book on Main Altar

In the Liber Nativitdtis of Saint Demetrius Church the first birth recorded was that of Anna Stecz, daughter of Joannes Stecz and Maria Bednar on 17 January 1789. Her godparents were Joannes Vrabelly and Helena Czapak. As is the tradition in the Eastern Rite, Anna was also confirmed at the same time.

If anyone knows of older records that exist for the area, please let us know.

In 1794 the church had 824 parishioners. By 1801, membership had grown to 936 souls. The Parish register makes mention of the dates 1669 and 1682, but we have not yet translated the text.

The Main Altar The Main Altar of Saint Demetrius Church

The icon of the Crucifixion is behind the main altar. You can see the Table of Preparation at the left side of the main altar.

Iconostas at Saint Demetrius Church Iconostasis at Saint Demetrius Church

The iconostasis veils the sanctuary which is reserved for the priest and his deacons. The iconostasis of Saint Demetrius Greek Catholic Church features the icon Our Lord to the right of the Royal Doors and the icon of the Mother of God to the left.

The Royal Doors The Royal Doors of Saint Demetrius Church

The Royal Doors of Saint Demetrius Church feature four icons. Only the priest may use the Royal Doors. All others use doors to either side of these center doors to the altar. The Royal Doors are open when the Divine Liturgy begins.

Banners Banners at Saint Demetrius Church

To quote Father Robert Taft S.J. ......

"No one who has worshipped with Eastern Catholics can fail to sense the extraordinary hold that the recurring cycle of their liturgy has upon the piety of the people. No one who has stood for long hours in a crowded church in eastern Europe on Holy Saturday evening has awaited the Resurrection of Our Lord in vain. While the body of the Savior lies in the center of the nave, the liturgical representation through the psalms and prophecy of our Passover from death to life moves in crescendo to the moment of the Resurrection when the church, now alight from hundreds of flickering tapers, resounds with the cry of the priest: "Christos Voskrese!" "Christ is Risen!" and the world that is reliving its joy of its release from the bondage of sin and death exults" "Voistinnu voskrese!" "Indeed He is risen!" No one who has lived this can fail to realize for the Eastern Christian the Gospel is inseparably linked to the liturgical cycle of feasts and fasts that unfold week after week in their parish church."

Another View of the banners Another view of the banners at Saint Demetrius Church

When a parish travels as a group to a pilgrimage or otpust, they carry their banners at the front of the procession. You will see many colorful banners like these carried by descendants of members of Saint Demetrius Church at the annual Otpust on Labor Day weekend at Mount Saint Macrina in Uniontown, Pennsylvania.

The Reverend Jan Franko, pastor of Saint Demetrius Church, celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of his ordination in 1989. Father Frank is retired and the pastor of Saint Demetrius is now Father Milan Gabor.

The Church has celebrated the Sacraments for over 350 years in the village of Porac. We invite you to view a recent marriage ceremony at Saint Demetrius.

In the Greek Catholic Church, an individual receives three Sacraments at Baptism. It is traditional to receive Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist during the Baptism Ceremony.

The Church of Demetrius is now in need of renovations. If you would like to help, please leave email to Demetrius@iarelative.com.

Banner at Saint Demetrius Church Closer look at one of the banners

We hope you enjoyed this tour of Saint Demetrius Greek Catholic Church in Porac, Slovakia, and take a few minutes to imagine sitting in the church on Christmas Eve as has been done for hundreds of years and hearing the words of "Boh Predvicnyj", "Rodost nam sja javl'ajet" and "Nebo is zeml'a" resound from a darkened church as the congregation heralds the birth of Christ.

Graveyard at Saint Demetrius Grave of Juraj Stanislav

The Saint Demetrius Cemetery sits along side the church. Above is the gravestone of Juraj Stanislav who lived his life in the Porac Slovakia area where his children still live today giving the town well over 200 years of continuous family presence.

Vicnaja Pamjat' to Juraj Stanislav and all who have come before him.

The Parish Register of Saint Demetrius Greek Catholic Church is available on microfilms 1791519 and 1791520 at the Family History Centers run by the Latter Day Saints Church in most communities. Both microfilms can be rented for less than USD 10.00 and are rather easy to read with exception of a few years of bad handwriting and a few pages that have suffered from bleed through of the ink.

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