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Having also visited Slovakia in 2005 and Presov-Stara Dubrava where my grandparents lived, no matter what anyone thinks about the Slovaks and "slovakization" I have to say I was impressed by the atmosphere of peace and order there. Nothing like in the Balkans or farther east. The Slovaks have created a good country comparable to Austria in the 1970's. God bless Slovakia and all its peoples!

Bergschlawiner,

Is that the Dubrava east of Snina close to the Transcarpathian border?

Ungcsertezs

I'm not fimiliar with Austria in the 1970's, but I wholeheartedly agree with your opinion about the goodness of the people and Slovakia. I pray that our "Hollywood Culture" with which they are being attacked will be defeated.

The only bad impression which comes to mind are the overwhelmingly huge billboards posted very prominently advertising the aging rock group "Blank Sabbath" concert named "Heaven and Hell" at the US Steel Center in Kosice.

The Catholic churches were asking the faithful to condemn it.

The people in Slovinky took me in as family and were incredibly kind and giving.

My paternal grandparents also came from Slovinky. They immigrated between 1890-1905. Came thru Ellis Island, went to Pennsylvania for a while & ended up in Brookside Alabama. My grandfather was a Bobyarchick (Babjarcsik) and my grandmother was a Sulin.

OMG... I just watched this YouTube video that you made after a visit to Slovinky. (The village my grandparents immigrated from). At about the 40 second mark.... I was simply floored when I saw the gravestone of "Katarina Marasova rod: Babjarcikova". I was so shocked because my name is Bobyarchick [originally: Babjarcik]. This has to be my relative! We lost touch with Slovakia back in the early 1960's after my grandparents death and a fire that destroyed all contact information. (I was born in 1956)
I presume the "ova" appended to her maiden name was typical for indicating a female.
Thank you..Thank you..Thank you!

Pani....I too am from Birmingham....

Deacon Paul:
Sykesville, PA, did you say? The priest who is married to my late wife's niece, Fr. Stephan Meholick, has ties to Sykesville. I believe his mother was from there.
Fr. Stephan is one of about six Byzantine Rite seminarians who switched to the Orthodox church circa 1971. Ironically enough, he influenced many of us to switch to ROCOR, but he has remained OCA to this very day. He is a "hunky" who became a Russophile; hence the OCA Western America Diocese is a good fit.
I'm kind of headed in the other direction; becoming more hunky than the hunkies. I married a Carpatho-Rusyn woman from Eastern PA, I learned Slovak and even a little bit of Hungarian!
I love the Church Slavonic, but I like the fact that people here the services in a comprehensible language; Slovak, or in the case of the church I am assisting in, Ukrainian.
I anticipate transferring to a parish in the OCA Western PA Diocese in the near future, so perhaps we shall be neighbors!

OMG... I just watched this YouTube video that you made after a visit to Slovinky. (The village my grandparents immigrated from). At about the 40 second mark.... I was simply floored when I saw the gravestone of "Katarina Marasova rod: Babjarcikova". I was so shocked because my name is Bobyarchick [originally: Babjarcik]. This has to be my relative! We lost touch with Slovakia back in the early 1960's after my grandparents death and a fire that destroyed all contact information. (I was born in 1956)
I presume the "ova" appended to her maiden name was typical for indicating a female.
Thank you..Thank you..Thank you!

I haven't been here for a while. Father Al, yes I know Father Stephan. He was called "Buddy" by his family. His grandparents were from the Sykesville area but he was raised seven miles away, in DuBois. I was raised in Sykesville and just knew him a few years, shortly before and during his Cyril & Methodius seminary years. His cousin Mark was ordained a priest and serves in a Russian Orthodox parish here, but it in piactice it is Carpatho-Russian. They are a good family. If you are assigned in this area I would be delighted to meet you. pboboige@yahoo.com

You are most welcome. This particular tombstone was relevant to me because my aunt married a Maras (anglicized Morris). We also have some local Morris's whose ancestors came from Slovinky. You wouldn't know any Bobovich's (Bobovic) there, would you? That is my family name.

We had some Sulins here in our parish in Sykesville; there are some tombstones in the local cemetery. I'm guessing they were born in the teens or 20's, maybe earlier.

Sorry, I do not know any Bobovich's. I will check the cemetery. My Sulin's seem to have split from other families and never kept in touch for some reason. My branch settled in Brookside, AL & then went to Trail Run, OH in the 192's to join other Sulins. I have found a few I know are relatives but it is from my great-grandfather's level that the branch occurred, Still "looking".

I have seen Bobovich name in some Slovakia villages near Slovinky though.

I found this today while looking for my names.
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GR73-GVQ?i=35&wc=9P3R-W36%3A107654201%2C109321301%2C109649302%2C109649303&cc=1554443

1829 Slovinky