Slovak Catholic Metropolitan Archeparchy of Prešov

The metropolis is the sole metropolitan see of the Slovak Greek Catholic Church. The archeparchy has two suffragan eparchies: the Eparchy of Košice and the Eparchy of Bratislava. As of 2004 it had 136,593 Slovak Greek Catholic faithful under its jurisdiction.[1] It has a minor basilica Farský chrám Nanebovzatia Presvätej Bohorodičky, bazilika minor, in Ľutina. Current archeparch is the Ján Babjak, S.J.

Following the partitions of Poland, the Habsburg monarchy gained control of extensive lands in the region of Galicia. Together with Carpathian Ruthenia lands of the Kingdom of Hungary, they included large minorities who adhered to Eastern Catholicism. As a result, Empress Maria Theresa, with the approval of the Holy See, decided to establish ecclesiastical territories on Habsburg-controlled lands. On 27 June 1787, the "Vicariate of Košice" was established on territory that was formerly in the western part of the Greek Catholic Eparchy of Mukachevo. Later, the episcopal seat of the Vicariate was transferred from Košice to Prešov. On 22 September 1818, the vicarate was elevated to an eparchy.

As part of Dual Monarchy of Austria-Hungary, on 8 June 1912, the eparchy lost some territory to establish the Hungarian Greek Catholic Eparchy of Hajdúdorog (now the Hungarian Catholic Archeparchy of Hajdúdorog).

In July 1995, it enjoyed a papal visit by John Paul II. On 18 January 1996 the eparchy lost its Czech territory to establish the Apostolic Exarchate of the Greek Catholic Church in the Czech Republic. In Slovakia, the eparchy lost territory to establish the apostolic exarchate of Košice on 17 January 1997. The exarchate was later raised to an eparchy — the Slovak Catholic Eparchy of Košice. On 30 January 2008, it again lost territory in western and central Slovakia when the Eparchy of Bratislava was erected. At the same time it was elevated to a sui juris metropolitan archeparchy.

Bishops of Prešov (Slovak Rite)

• Gregor Tarkovič (1818.09.26 – 1841.01.16)
• Jozef Gaganec (1843-1875)
• ThDr. Mikuláš Tóth (1876-1882)
• ThDr. Ján Vályi (1882-1911)
• ThDr. Štefan Novák (1913-1918)
• ThDr. Mikuláš Rusnák (1918-1922), Vicar General
• Dionisije Njaradi (1922-1927), Apostolic Administrator
• Pavel Peter Gojdič, OSBM (1927-1960)
  • auxiliary bishop ThDr. Vasiľ Hopko (1947-1976)
• Mons. Ján Hirka (1969–2002), until 1989 as Apostolic Administrator
  • auxiliary bishop Milan Chautur, C.Ss.R. (1992–1997)
• Bishop Ján Babjak, S.J. (2002.12.11 – 2008.01.30, cfr. infra: later first Metropolitan Archeparch)

Metropolitan Archeparchs of Prešov (Slovak Rite)

• Archbishop Ján Babjak, S.J. (2008.01.30 – 2022.04.22), as above: previously bishop of Prešov
  • auxiliary bishop Milan Lach, S.J. (2013–2017)
• Peter Rusnák (2022.04.22 - now), Apostolic Administrator

• Official site
• GigaCatholic, with Episcipla incumbents list, linking to biographies

48.9941°N 21.2429°E / 48.9941; 21.2429