Ján Hirka Explained

Type:Bishop
Ján Hirka
Bishop of Prešov
Church:Slovak Greek Catholic Church
See:Eparchy of Prešov
Term:1989 - 2002
Predecessor:Bl. Pavel Peter Gojdič, O.S.B.M
Successor:Ján Babjak, S.J
Ordination:31 July 1949
Ordained By:Bl. Vasil Hopko
Consecration:17 February 1990
Consecrated By:Cardinal Jozef Tomko
Birth Date:16 November 1923
Death Place:Prešov, Slovakia
Previous Post:Prelate

The Most Reverend Ján Hirka (16 November 1923 – 10 April 2014) was a bishop of the Slovak Greek Catholic Church.

Life

Hirka was born in Abranovce, Czechoslovakia and was ordained a priest on 31 July 1949. Hirka was appointed Apostolic Administrator of the Archeparchy of Prešov when it was revived on 2 April 1969, after years of suppression under the Communist regime. This was in place of the existing Auxiliary Bishop, Basil Hopko, who had survived years of imprisonment and torture at the hands of the Communists, because of complaints by nationalist members of the Church, who believed that a native Slovak should be the one to head the Church there. He was appointed eparch on 21 December 1989 and ordained as a bishop on 17 February 1990. Hirka retired on 11 December 2002.

External links