Bishop of Slovakia
Msgr. Pavol Šaigalik, O.F.M. Cap., was born in Bratislava on 13 November 1964. He was awarded a diploma as a technical engineer in Bratislava and, during the Communist regime, clandestinely joined the Friars Minor Capuchin. He attended the Faculty of Theology of the Universität Wien. He gave his perpetual vows in 1993 and was ordained a priest on 15 August 1993. After ordination, he first served in various offices in the Slovak Province of the Friars Minor Capuchin, including provincial counseller, secretary and bursar, guardian of the Convent and rector of the Capuchin Church in the centre of Bratislava, and vice provincial (1993-2005); military chaplain in the Regional Diretorate of the Bratislava Police (2004); and member of the Presbyteral Council of the Military Ordinariate (2006-2019). He was awarded a doctorate in pastoral theology from the Universität Wien (2014) and went on to serve as chaplain of Saint Michael’s Hospital in Bratislava (2010-2019). In the Military Ordinariate he has held the offices of deputy vicar, dean of the Bratislava Police and member of the preparatory team of the Synod of the Military Ordinariate. Since 2019 he has been the spiritual assistant to the Slovak Catholic Mission in Switzerland, resident in Zurich.