. Tense situation.                          

        The pressure of the communist regime towards the Catholic Church increased and Fr. Trcka, as the superior of the Byzantine Redemptorists, felt it as well. The minor seminary in Michalovce, a very popular magazine 'Misionar', and the Vice-Province were abolished. That meant that the Byzantine Catholic Redemptorists had to join the Bratislava Latin Rite Vice-Province. Fr. Trcka was once again forced to leave Michalovce. As his base, he chose the monastery in Sabinov. He continued to secretly direct the members of his Vice-Province. He visited students in Oboriste and novices at Cervenka. He wasn't depressed, he was always full of living faith. PHe cheered confreres telling them their suffering will not be in vain, because God allows but he does not abandon. This was the situation until the Barbaric Night of April 13 to 14, 1950.

        Holy Thursday, April 13, around 11 pm., there were sharp knocks on the door of the monastery. When Br. Nikifor opened the front door, he saw government emissaries standing in front of him. They came to intern the community in Sabinov. They took Fr. Jan Durkan and Fr. Efrem Kozelsky to Presov and Fr. Trcka and Br. Nikifor to Podolinec. After securing the monastery, the government emissary filed this report to the authorities about the progress of the action: In the writings a compromising letter was found from Fr. Mastiliak, dated 1937, from Rome, in which he is thankful for the very beautiful news from Eastern Slovakia. The letter is addressed to Fr. Trcka. A passport was also found in the name of Metod Trcka. These documents along with the rest of the material were listed in writing and are in the hands of the State Security. Fr. Trcka's intentions of leaving the country are confirmed by the fact that the day before the transfer, he tried to get a new identity card, most probably under an assumed name. He was at the barbershop in Sabinov and spoke of having his beard shaved off.


        Eventually, based on this 'evidence' i.e., a simple letter from a confrere and a made-up tale about escape out of the country using a supposedly falsified passport, which was found at the monastery, Fr. Trcka was sentenced to 12 years of suffering in prisons! He accepted this cross with hope and faith in God, Who not only gives a cross to bear but Who also gives the strength to carry that cross.

ENGITAPOLSVKSPAUKR