About Živčáková hill (Hora Živčáková) in Turzovka, Slovakia:
Today, people actively pray and hold pilgrimages at the Živčáková hill (Hora Živčáková) in Turzovka, Slovakia, which has become known as a “Slovak Lourdes”. It is an official Marian place of pilgrimage featuring a chapel and holy springs, where believers come to pray, seek healing, and attend Holy Masses, particularly in spring and autumn.
This Slovak pilgrimage site is also popularly known as “Slovak Lourdes”. Hora Živčáková has been known as a place of prayer and Marian veneration since time immemorial. In fact, a picture of the Virgin Mary has always been found on a tree in the forest at this place. Passing locals used to stop by it and pray.
In 1958, however, unusual events took place in this place: according to the words of the grove owner Matúš Lašut, Our Lady of Lourdes was about to appear to him.
Since these times, believers from near and far began to visit Hora Živčáková in even greater numbers. The prayers of many have been answered and the rumor that the water from the local springs has healing properties is widespread. What is remarkable about the whole story of the pilgrimage site, however, are the socio-political circumstances of the time. At the time of the alleged apparition, a communist regime was raging in Slovakia, which was very harsh in the nearby village of Turzovka: the property of all private enterprises (shops, brickyard, carpentry and many other establishments) was nationalized, and many people lost their possessions. These acts were very unjust, and other injustices were committed against Christians: many were arrested and subsequently imprisoned for their anti-communist attitudes. The extermination efforts were also transferred to the site of the apparition on Mount Živčáková: the communists often resorted to burning paintings and statues, especially before church festivals. Also, Matúš Lašut himself was investigated by public security and sent for psychiatric examinations several times.
It is remarkable that the pilgrimage of the faithful to Mount Živčáková persisted throughout the entire totalitarian communist regime, and that the pilgrimage to the mountain was made privately and in greater numbers. Pilgrims were not deterred even by intimidation and persecution by the state authorities. The long-lasting high attendance at the pilgrimage site was certainly a strong reason why the pilgrimage site has already been approved by the Church (2008), although the investigation into the circumstances of the apparitions of the Virgin Mary is still ongoing.
Reported apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary to Matúš Lašut in Turzovka, Slovakia:
Matúš Lašut (also spelled Matus Lasut, Matous Lasuta, or similar; pronounced roughly “Matush Lashut”) was born on April 10, 1916, in Vysoká nad Kysucou (near Turzovka), Slovakia (then part of Czechoslovakia). He had a difficult childhood — his mother died when he was young, and he worked as a shepherd from an early age. He later worked as a forest ranger.On June 1, 1958, while on duty on the Okruhla mountain (Živčáková hill) near Turzovka, Lašut reported seeing the Virgin Mary (as the Immaculate Conception) near a statue/pine tree. He described her appearing on a small cloud, dressed in white, and showing him a map of the world with warnings about future events. Themes in the messages were calls for prayer, repentance, and conversion. The Blessed Virgin Mary gave Warnings about moral decline, wars, natural disasters (including a possible large tsunami or “mountain thrown into the sea”), and global crises.
Matúš was arrested several times by the Communist authorities, who regarded any religion (especially Catholicism) as a threat to their power. Despite attempts to break him, Matúš refused to deny his story. He lived a long life and passed away in 2010 at age 94.
Note: The apparitions at Turzovka are not officially approved by the Catholic Church at the diocesan level (like many private revelations). The Church generally separates the spiritual encouragement of pilgrimages and prayers in a location from the approval of the reported supernatural visions.It is important to differentiate between official recognition of supernatural occurrences (which requires rigorous investigation) and the local approval of prayer and devotion at a specific site, but they have a devoted following.
The chapel of Živčáková stands in a mountain meadow fringed by spruce forest. One of its treasures is a cross made by the people of Detva (a village famous for its strong and distinctive folk art traditions). The oldest part of the site is a small shrine to the Blessed Virgin Mary, which stands as a symbolic terminus for the Way of the Cross from Turzovka. Today on Mount Živčáková there is a newly built Church of Our Lady Mother of the Church (consecrated in 2015), the Chapel of Our Lady Queen of Peace (from 1993) and wells with spring water, which many believe to have healing effects.
It has been a site of Marian veneration and prayer since 1958, following alleged apparitions to forester Matúš Lašút.Official Recognition: In 2008, the Žilina diocese declared it an official place of prayer, and the Vatican acknowledges it as a site of approved public worship.
Today the site contains a forest Chapel, Stations of the Cross, and the Church of Our Lady.
Daily Activity: People visit to pray individually or in groups, with pilgrims often visiting the four water springs nearby.
Traveling to Živčáková hill (Hora Živčáková) in Turzovka, Slovakia:
While often referred to as “Turzovka,” the site is located in the nearby hills, frequently accessed via paths from Korňa or Turzovka.