Saved by Titus

Seven people including Fr Titus went through the river Morava in the first crusade on 31 August 1950.

Jozef Heriban SDB (1925 – 2009), born in Šelpice, the region of Trnava. He was ordained as a priest on 1 July 1995 in Turin. He served as a missionary in Japan and as a professor of the Holy Bible in the Salesian theological novitiate in Chofu (Tokio).

Since 1979 he had worked at the Salesian Pontifical University as a professor of the New Testament exegesis, the biblical theology and the biblical Greek language. As a hosting professor he lectured on the biblical sciences at several universities on the whole world. He was a polyglot and spoke more than ten other languages. He elaborated the complete introductory notes to the Bible and to the individual books of the Old and the New Testament. He prepared and published Príručný lexicon biblických vied – the Hand Lexicon of the Biblical Science (the publishing house SÚSCM, 1992, the Fr Bosco publishing house 1998). He was given the title “Doctor Honoris Causa” on 12 December of 2005 by the University of Trnava in Trnava.

Rudolf Blatnický SDB (1928 – 2015), born in Trnava-Kopánka. After having graduated he was ordained as a deacon on 1 January 1962. Despite his very successful studies of the theology and obtaining a doctorate (ThDr.) he decided to remain a permanent deacon. After having founded the Slovak Secondary grammar school at the Slovak Pontifical College of St. Cyril and St. Method in Rome, he worked there as a pedagogue and an educator for more than twenty years. He also co-worked with the redaction of the broadcasting institution “Voice of America”. He worked on basic theological, biblical and liturgical manuals, too. He also did the Slovak translation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

Stanislav Kmotorka SDB (1929-2012) born in Chynorany, the region of Topoľčany. Just as a student of theology he was the main organist on the ceremonies. He was ordained a priest on 1 July 1956. He graduated in Bologna in music and choir singing (1963) and in Florence in composing the music for the band (1967). He stayed active in these fields as a teacher also as a Salesian. He became the composer. He composed mainly sacred music. He lived in Florence more than a half of a century, he died there and is also buried.

Medard Štepanovský SDB (1927 – 2017) born in Oreské, the region of Senica. Ordained as a priest on 1 July 1956 in Turin, then was sent to the Salesian Secondary grammar school in south German Buxheime as a pedagogue. He lived and worked there all his lige as a confrère of great pedagogical qualities.

Július Gašparík (1915-1989) born in Kováčová. He was ordained as a dioceses´ priest on 5 February 1939, he served in the diocese of Banská Bystrica. The communist party issued a warrant for his arrest, therefore he escaped abroad. He worked in France, he founded the Slovak Catholic Mission in Paris in 1953 of which he was the first priest. He participated there till his death.

Bohumil Havlíček – born in Stráže at Šaštín.
Ján Martinec – born in Dlhé Pole, the region of Žilina.

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In the second crusade on 23 October 1950 the following Salesian priests, students of theology and diocese priests accompanied by Titus Zeman left for abroad.

Andrej Šandor SDB (1913-1995) born in Močarany, the region of Michalovce (poet pseudonym Gorazd Zvonický). He was ordained as a Salesian priest on 29 June 1948 on Slovakia. After having escaped from the Czechoslovakia he stayed for a short time in Italy and then left for Buenos Aires, Argentina. There, he actively participated in the Association of Slovak writers and he was at the nascence of the Slovakia´s scientific and cultural institution Matica slovenská abroad. When the Slovak pontifical college of St. Cyril and St. Method was founded in Rome in 1963 he returned to the Europe and started his participation in its occupation, where he worked as a professor at the Slovak Secondary grammar school. Gorazd Zvonický was also an outstanding translator. His greatest work is the compiled three-book bundle The Hymns to Bless the Time (translated) which are used in the today´s Breviary. He also helped with the redaction of the Roman Missal Latin-Slovak which was issued in 1966. He translated papal encyclicals from the Latin language. He was given the high state acknowledgement Commendatore Al Merito della Republica Italiana – The Military order for his credit for the Republic by the president of the Italian Republic Oscar Lugi Scalfara.

Tibor Strnisko SDB (1911-1986) born in Pezinok. He was the director of the Salesian house in Žilina in 1947-1950. During the Action K night he was helping on the presbytery, he was hiding for six months. For a long time he was the only priest for the Slovaks in the Australia and his “parish” was as big as a half of the Europe. However, he had to restrict his service because of the age and poor health. So that he was active only in Melbourne where he also died. He has great credit for keeping the Slovak religious, cultural, and national life in Australia. He organized many different events, wrote informative and funny articles, spiritual meditations, essays on travels which he published in the magazines Slovenský štít (The Sloval Peak), Hlasy z Ríma (Voices from Rome), Ave Mária (Ave Maria) and others.

Ľudovít Suchán SDB (1921-2005) born in Trstín, the region of Trnava. He was ordained as a priest in 1949. After his escape into Italy he studied the Church Law in Turin. He left for Japan in 1954 as a missionary. Some time he was an administrator of the episcopal cathedral and was also in charge of episcopal bureau in Beppu. Later on he had the church built in the part of Tokyo, Chofu. He also was also devoted to the religion service for Slovaks living there.

Andrey Pauliny SDB (1925-2005) born in the region of Žilina. After the successful escape he studied the theology in Italy and was ordained as a priest on 1June 1953. He studied the catechesis in Turin and worked as a leader of the audio-visual branch of the publishing house Elle Di Ci. Later on, he was in charge of a small seminary at the Slovak Pontifical College of St. Cyril and St. Method in Rome for six months. For long sixteen months he edited the magazine Slovenské hlasy z Ríma (The Slovak Voices from Rome) and made the graphics and illustrations for almost each book that was issued by the College and that was often secretly transported into Slovakia. He also prepared the broadcast for the Radio of Vatican on the regular basis for fifteen years.

Rafael Černý SDB (1924-2006) born in Sobotište, the region of Senica. After having escaped he studied the theology in Bollengo and was ordained as a priest on 1 July 1952. However, he could not go as a missionary to Bolivia because of his illness. In Belgium he worked with young refugees from the Eastern Europe during the years 1955-1969. Since 1970 he worked in the Slovak Pontifical College of St. Cyril and St. Method in Rome, where he taught the German language, mathematics, physic and singing lessons. He was an editor of magazines Slovenské hlasy z Ríma (the Slovak Voices from Rome), Diakonia – slovenský kňaz (Deaconry – the Slovak Priest). He spent thousands hours with editing books that were published by SUSCM. He worked as a secretary of Rector Mayor of the Salesians in Bratislava in 1994-1999.

Jozef Ochaba SDB (1920-2006) born in Štefanová, the department of Pezinok. He was ordained as a priest in 1 January 1951. At first he worked in France, then in 1976 he left for the African Republic Gabun as a missionary. However, he were there just for a short time and then returned to France.

Cyril Búran SDB (1928-2006), born in Jablonica, the department of Senica. After his escape he studied the theology in Turin and on 1st July 1956 was ordained as a priest with three other Slovak confrères. He became the professor of morality. Since 1971 he participated in the Slovak Catholic Mission in Mannheime in Germany for thirty years.

František Kubala SDB (1904-19991) born in Vrbové, the region of Trnava.
Pavol Tuna SDB (1926-2004) born in Valaská Belá, the department of Prievidza.
Cyril Marek, born in Hrnčiarovce, the region of Trnava.
Ján Eiben, born in Bratislava.
Jozef Hercog, born in Šaštín, the department of Senica.

Daniel Faltin OFMConv. (1927-2008), born in Kurimany. He reached the Rome and was ordained a priest in 1951. He obtained the doctorate of Church and Civil Law in 1959. He worked in the Roman Curia and participated in the Second Vatican Council. Since 1986 he was a judge of the Tribunal Apostolicum Rotae Romanae.

Still alive Juraj Török (*1931, Žilina) now the diocese priest. He graduated from the theology in Rome, then left for the USA where he absolved the photography at New York Institute of Photography. He founded the independent production association Hallel Communications in New York in 1974. Besides he also filmed nine part series about the Second Vatican Council.
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For the participants of the third “unsuccessful” crusade on 9 April 1951 were rescued the following men who later went abroad (Titus ordered them to leave as first and they made it):

Anton Hlinka SDB (1926-2011), born in Valašská Belá.
Augustín Lovíšek SDB (1922-1980), born in Považská Bystrica.
Klement Poláček SDB (1929-2017), born in Černík, the department of Nové Zámky.
Alojz Pestún SDB (1928 – 2022), born in Šulekovo, the region of Trnava.

Mons. Anton Botek – the chief in charge of the Central Catholic Office in Bratislava. He was arrested in 1949 and after having escaped he worked in Canada since 1957 where he founded a parish and built a church, a school and a pastoral centre in the town Welland. He worked in Radio Vatican in 1973-1976. He is well-known as a translator of the Bible. He published its parts in the magazines Za svetlom (For the Light) in 1970, Múdrosť 1974 (Wisdom), and Psalms in 1978. He also translated the notes in the Bible and Introduction for the Jerusalem Bible.

Jozef Baťo – Obyce, the department of Zlaté Moravce.