EN: Portrait of Jozef Kapala from the estate of Karol Sidor
EN: Portrait of Jozef Kapala in Museum
Jozef Kapala (14.5.1901 Wilmington, Delaware, USA – 10.4.1985 Spring Valey, Illinois, USA). Slovenský diplomat, exilový pracovník, publicista, prekladateľ
EN: Jozef Kapala (14.5.1901 Wilmington, Delaware, USA – 10.4.1985 Spring Valey, Illinois, USA). Slovak diplomat, exile worker, publicist, translator
Ľudovú školu navštevoval v Zuberci na Orave. Na gymnáziu začal študovať v Trstenej, v r. 1917 odišiel do Malého seminára v Nitre, v štúdiu pokračoval v malom seminári v Ružomberku, od r. 1920 v malom seminári v Banskej Bystrici. V r. 1921 ho biskup Ján Vojtaššák poslal na štúdium teológie do Ríma. Bol prvým Slovákom prijatým do Pontificio Collego Boemo – známeho Nepomucena v Ríme, študoval na Univerzite de Propaganda Fide. V r. 1927 získal doktorát teológie a 12. marca 1927 ho vysvätili za kňaza.
Po návrate na Slovensko bol kaplánom v Spišských Vlachoch, od r.1929 prefekt, špirituál a ekonóm malého seminára v Levoči. V r. 1931 ho biskup Vojtaššák povolal do Spišskej Kapituly za svojho osobného tajomníka a zastával aj funkciu notára cirkevného súdu. Po vyhlásení samostatného štátu v r. 1939 na žiadosť biskupa J. Vojtaššáka odišiel v júni 1939 za cirkevného radcu slovenského vyslanectva pri Svätej stolici. Zaslúžil sa o vybudovanie vyslanectva i o jeho pevnú a uznávanú pozíciu. Účinne pritom využil svoje kontakty z čias štúdií. Jeho hlavnou povinnosťou bola príprava súkromných i verejných audiencií Slovákov u vtedajšieho pápeža Pia XII. Z podnetu farára J. Šimičáka zo Starých Hôr našiel talianskeho umelca, ktorý zhotovil sochu Panny Márie z kararského mramoru pre toto pútnické miesto (veľkú časť nákladov na jej zhotovenie sám uhradil).
EN: He attended the folk school in Zuberec in Orava. He started to study at the grammar school in Trstená and in 1917 he went to the Small Seminary in Nitra, continued his studies in the small seminary in Ružomberok, and from 1920 in the small seminary in Banská Bystrica. In 1921 Bishop Ján Vojtaššák sent him to Rome to study theology. He was the first Slovak admitted to the Pontificio Collego Boemo – the famous Nepomucenum in Rome, he studied at the University de Propaganda Fide. In 1927 he received his doctorate in theology and was ordained a priest on 12 March 1927.
EN: He attended the folk school in Zuberec in Orava. He started to study at the grammar school in Trstená and in 1917 he went to the Small Seminary in Nitra, continued his studies in the small seminary in Ružomberok, and from 1920 in the small seminary in Banská Bystrica. In 1921 Bishop Ján Vojtaššák sent him to Rome to study theology. He was the first Slovak admitted to the Pontificio Collego Boemo – the famous Nepomucenum in Rome, he studied at the University de Propaganda Fide. In 1927 he received his doctorate in theology and was ordained a priest on 12 March 1927.
After his return to Slovakia he was a chaplain in Spišské Vlachy, from 1929 he was prefect, spiritual and economist of the small seminary in Levoča. In 1931, Bishop Vojtaššák called him to the Spišská Kapitula as his personal secretary and he also held the position of notary of the ecclesiastical court. After the proclamation of the independent state in 1939, at the request of Bishop J. Vojtaššák, he left in June 1939 to become the ecclesiastical counsellor of the Slovak embassy to the Holy See. He contributed to the establishment of the embassy and its firm and respected position. In doing so, he made effective use of his contacts from his student days. His main duty was to prepare private and public audiences of Slovaks with the then Pope Pius XII. At the suggestion of the parish priest J. Šimičák from Staré Hory, he found an Italian artist who made a statue of the Virgin Mary in Carrara marble for this pilgrimage site (he paid a large part of the cost of its construction himself).
EN: Karol Sidor, Giuseppe Burzio and Jozef Kapala.
Keď r. 1945 prestalo pracovať slovenské vyslanectvo pri Svätej stolici, najviac prostriedkov a energie venoval pomoci slovenským emigrantom, ktorí sa uchýlili do Ríma. Vďaka jeho kontaktom s talianskym slavistom Luigim Salvinim sa slovenčina začala vyučovať na univerzite v Ríme a na Orientálnom inštitúte v Neapole. V r. 1943 sa stal pápežským prelátom.
EN: When the Slovak Embassy to the Holy See ceased to work in 1945, he devoted most of his resources and energy to helping Slovak emigrants who had taken refuge in Rome. Thanks to his contacts with the Italian Slavic scholar Luigi Salvini, Slovak began to be taught at the University of Rome and at the Oriental Institute in Naples. In 1943 he became a papal prelate.
V r. 1946 emigroval do USA. Prijali ho do biskupstva Peoria v štáte Illinois, stal sa poradcom tamojšieho biskupa. Od r. 1947 pôsobil ako špirituál a profesor na dievčenskej St. Mary’s Academy v Nauwoo, ktorú viedli sestry benediktínky. V r. 1953 ho preložili do mesta Ottawa, potom do Rock Islandu, r. 1956 do Spring Valley, Illinois, kde pôsobil ako farár vo Farnosti sv.Petra a Pavla až do smrti.
EN: In 1946 he emigrated to the USA. He was received into the diocese of Peoria, Illinois, and became an advisor to the bishop there. From 1947 he was a Spiritualist and professor at St. Mary’s Academy for Girls in Nauvoo, run by the Benedictine Sisters. In 1953 he was transferred to Ottawa, then to Rock Island, then in 1956 to Spring Valley, Illinois, where he served as pastor of Sts. Peter and Paul Parish until his death.
EN: Photography Book From Roháče to the Vatican
Patril nesporne k najvzdelanejším slovenským kňazom svojej doby. Počas štúdií vplývali na jeho duchovnú formáciu najvýznamnejší vatikánski teológovia a diplomati. V Ríme bol svedkom beatifikácie karmelitánky Terézie z Lisieux; po celý život zostal jej ctiteľom a šíriteľom jej úcty, dopisoval si s Terezkinou sestrou – karmelitánkou Céline, finančne prispieval na stavbu Katedrály sv. Terézie v Lisieux. Politicky sa výrazne neexponoval, no mal pevné slovenské národné povedomie a sympatizoval s autonomistickým hnutím.
Ešte v medzivojnovom období prispieval do časopisu Svätá rodina, neskôr do Katolíckych novín (1942) a do úradného vatikánskeho denníka L’Osservatore Romano (1942-1943). Do taliančiny preložil Hlinkove Zápisky z Mirova pod názvom Meditazioni a Mirov (Rím 1942).
EN: He was undoubtedly one of the most educated Slovak priests of his time. During his studies, the most prominent Vatican theologians and diplomats influenced his spiritual formation. In Rome, he witnessed the beatification of the Carmelite Teresa of Lisieux; throughout his life he remained her admirer and promoter of her veneration, corresponded with Teresa’s sister – the Carmelite Céline, and contributed financially to the construction of the Cathedral of St. Teresa in Lisieux. He was not politically active, but he had a strong Slovak national consciousness and sympathised with the autonomist movement.During the interwar period he contributed to the Holy Family magazine, later to the Catholic Newspaper (1942) and to the official Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore Romano (1942-1943). He translated Hlinka’s Notes from Mirov into Italian under the title Meditazioni a Mirov (Rome, 1942).
EN: Notes from Mírov – translation
V emigrácii v USA prispieval do Slovenskej obrany a Slovenských novín (časť jeho príspevkov sa týkala biskupa J. Vojtaššáka). Je autorom memoárovej trilógie: I. Spod Roháčov po Vatikán (1972), II. Spomienky (1981) a III.Obrázky zo života (1981). Všetky tri zväzky obsahujú spomienkové črty, najkomplexnejší je prvý zväzok (vznikol na základe Kapalových rozhovorov s M. Šprincom). Trilógia je zdrojom informácií o pomeroch na Slovensku v medzivojnovom období, o jeho štúdiách a diplomatickej práci v Ríme a pastoračnej práci v USA (tretí zväzok, vydaný pri príležitosti Kapalových 80. narodenín, zredigoval K. Strmeň).
EN: While immigrating to the USA, he contributed to Slovak Defence and Slovak Newspapers (part of his contributions concerned Bishop J. Vojtaššák). He is the author of a trilogy of memoirs. From Roháče to the Vatican (1972), II. Memories (1981) and III. Pictures from Life (1981). All three volumes contain memoirs, the most comprehensive being the first volume (based on Kapala’s interviews with M. Šprinec). The trilogy is a source of information about the conditions in Slovakia in the interwar period, about his studies and diplomatic work in Rome and pastoral work in the USA (the third volume, published on the occasion of Kapal’s 80th birthday, was edited by K. Strmeň).