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HAND EMBROIDERED
VESTMENTS FROM SLOVAKIA
BETHLEHEM IN
RAJECKA LESNA
The ancient village of Rajecka Lesna known as Frewald before 1948 is located 30 Km south of Zilina
at the foot of Klak Mountain. It is a small village with about 1300
inhabitants. It was first mentioned in history 1418 as a part of Lietava
Castle in Trencin zupa. Rajecka Lesna has been pilgrimage
place since the 15th century. The largest pilgrimage takes place on September
8th, the feast of Virgin Mary's nativity. The Church of Mary's birth from 1866
is the dominance of the village. The very first church of the village was
built in the 14th century and the golden statues of the Virgin Mary with the
child Jesus were preserved. This statue is now in the main altar of the parish
church. About 500 meters from the church of Mary's birth, the Calvary of
Frewald and the chapel of Lourdes were built from the donations of North
American Slovaks. The five springs healing water containing calcium and
magnesium spurs from underneath of this chapel. It is said that anybody who
comes here in good faith will find health for his body and soul here. At the
top of the Calvary there is a Church of Ascension. Next to the parish church
in the center of the village a House of Nativity was built. It was designed by
Stanislav Machovcak from Staskov, it was built by parishioners under
the leadership of Stefan Botos and Ivan Biely. In November of 1995 the
Slovak Bethlehem was open to the public in this specially build house. The
Slovak Bethlehem is masterpiece of Jozef Pekara, carver from Rajecke Teplice.
The masterpiece is 8.5 meters wide, 2.5 meters deep and 3 meters high.
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Together it contains 170 figures in folk costumes working, playing, some as
pilgrims all together symbolizing the devoutness of Slovaks. It also contains
over 150 animal figures. In his work of art he depicts not only the nativity
but also the history of the Slovak Nation. It was his idea to enter different
images of the Slovak people into biblical milieu. It is why we can see the
three Kings who are followed by the Sts. Cyril and Methodius and other great
personalities of Slovak history.
The tableau of the nativity is in the middle
of the crèche that is located in the village of Rajecka Lesna. All Slovak
religions can be found there, accented by their most famous places and
buildings such as the castle of Devin, Bratislava,
Trencin, Orava, and the cathedrals of Nitra, Trnava, Spisska
Kapitula and Kosice. One of the High Tatra Mountains, Mount Krivan
raises in the back ground as a symbol of Slovakia. Every Slovak visitor can
find a part of history and tradition of his region here. Different jobs,
crafts, national costumes, and traditional ways of life of the Slovak people
are shown. The wooden figures can move. Mining in Slovakia has long tradition
and Banska Bystrica represents it. You can hear the Techovska music by Mucha
Brothers, and also see wedding from Zdiar, Presov's church, Bardejov's
Church of St. Gilles and the city hall; Levoca's
Church of St. James and the city hall.
Nitra's J.E. Cardinal J. Ch.
Korec blessed the Bethlehem on November 26, 1995 on the day of Christ the
king. It is open every day an enjoying extraordinary interest by local and
foreign visitors.
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TO CATHOLIC CHURCHES
HAND EMBROIDERED
VESTMENTS FROM SLOVAKIA
Published in the
Slovak Heritage Live newsletter Volume 6, No. 4, Winter 1998
Copyright © Vladimir Linder 1998
3804 Yale Street, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada V5C 1P6
The above article and photographs may not be copied,
reproduced, republished, or redistributed by any means including electronic,
without the express written permission of
Vladimir
Linder. All rights
reserved.
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