The Faculty's history connects the old university tradition, Jesuit education, the experience of clandestine theological study and today's academic search for answers to questions facing the human person, the Church and society.
It recalls that theological education is not only the transmission of knowledge. It is also a service to truth, conscience, freedom, responsibility and human dignity.
Three lines of identity
The old university tradition
The Faculty follows the heritage of Trnava University founded in 1635, whose four faculties included a Faculty of Theology.
St Aloysius Theological Institute
Established by the Society of Jesus in Slovakia in 1941, the Institute sustained theological formation through persecution, internment and clandestine study.
The Faculty today
Created in 1997 through the transformation of the Institute, the Faculty develops theology in dialogue with the humanities, pastoral practice, counseling, mediation, spirituality and contemporary society.
Milestones
- 1635–1777: the historical Trnava University operates with four faculties, including theology.
- 1941: the Society of Jesus establishes St Aloysius Theological Institute in Slovakia.
- 1950: teachers and students are interned with other religious communities; theological formation continues under difficult and clandestine conditions.
- 1968–1990: periods of limited political relaxation allow partial renewal of study, including clandestine and distance formation.
- 30 September 1991: the Institute publicly renews its work on its fiftieth anniversary.
- 1992: Trnava University is restored by law.
- 23 October 1997: the Faculty of Theology is established through the transformation of St Aloysius Theological Institute.
- Since 2025: the Faculty is led by Associate Professor ThDr. ICDr. Remigiusz Piotr Górski OFM.
A heritage that continues
The Faculty draws on a Jesuit educational tradition that values the whole person, connects knowledge with experience and reflection, and directs learning towards responsible action. Its language includes magis, the search for greater depth and quality; cura personalis, personal care for each person; and contemplation in action, joining inner life with service.
This history is not only a record of the past. It shapes current teaching, research, dialogue and formation and invites the Faculty to remain attentive to the questions of its time.