The farmer in Horni Marikova, Milan Kovac, stood on August 12, 2016 at the wooden church in Ráztoka. "I looked at the torso of the church that someone intentionally set on fire."

There were laughing guys, and that's what to say in Marik. They were looking at me with that. I asked Martin Babeck to help me, and he promised help. Then I said we would build the church again. I knew if he promised, we could do it. If he refused, I would not let go, "Kovac remembered the hard times. In Marik, the word "guy" is still valid and he can count on it, no contracts are needed. How he judged the distance, it was an emotional decision. He did not have experience with the construction of wooden objects, and he believed that the church would stand in the year. The guys from the village explained to him that a rough building must first be built to "sit down", and it takes time.

The original church was built between 1948 and 1951 and in the wider area it was the only wooden sacral structure. "It was such a candy and people from a wide range loved it. They went to the masses, the marriages took place here, and the Mariks were willing to share the church with others, and that was a good investment, "the parson considers the status of a filial church in the minds of men. They built him during the time of hostilities against the buildings of the churches. That's why the then parish priest Alexander Klabnik called him a chapel so as not to irritate the rank. The tower was projected towards the valley, which also had logic due to the ringing, but the builders hid it behind the church. Later, they had to disassemble it and set it up again at the entrance to the church. Milan Kovac organized the third repair of the church and since then has a deep relationship with him. People are looking for a place to build, it is sacred, amazing and beautiful. It served mainly the inhabitants of the settlements Ráztoka and Stolečná, since Ráztoka had so many inhabitants now Horná Mariková.

"After two years, we are standing in front of a rough building, and it is a miracle that everything has been done in such a short time to fold and do it. Thanks to Horni Marik's Mayor Miroslav Hamar, the land under the church, which belonged to several owners, was fine. Thanksgiving belongs to the Forest of Považská Bystrica for wood at the temple, sawmill workers, who managed to solve the cutting of twelve-meter beams, donating funds from small to bigger ones. I will mention, for example, the parish offices of Papradno and Divina at Rožňava. The biggest thanks to the men and women who participated directly in the construction of the church, "Milan Kováč addresses his thanks. He says modestly that it would be bold to say how he built a church. He only says "mini-tools" at construction and is honored to be in this activity. The guys who do not do much in the church say they can handle God's help. An active pharaoh has managed to convince people that building is a prestigious affair, not a brigade. The men had to write to a counselor when they could come to do likewise women if they wanted to cook for the laborers. Even though they are hot, they enjoy the robot. They catch up, take this action with great care, because they become somehow eternal in the awareness of local people, and that is worth the effort.

Thanks to the firefighters, they have saved at least the lower woods of the old church church. The architect had a simpler job of focusing the building, in addition the lowerwoods are used for the production of ladles. Church buildings will be used for the presentation of the saved parts of the building, and will save the time-saving box in the building. In the shield hill above the altar there will be a cross of burnt brunnen, but instead of Christ will be the Divine Heart of Jesus, which is a patronizing church. The only original part will be the lock with the keyhole from the boosh, which it found functional on the gutter. They will also restore the original paintings on the faces of people from Ráztoka.

"It is a blessing that I have parishes, carpenters, carvers in the parish. We can do everything ourselves, it's not the original church but its younger brother. The sacred place will remain, but it will be embroiled in new dresses. Next year in the fall, the church will be functional, we will sanctify it in 2020 on the day of its patronage. And why did we build it? Because the man who destroyed the place can not have the last word, "concluded Milan Kováč.

text: Leo Kužela

photo: fb Kostolik Ráztoka, Radovan Stoklas