He said he had seen an increase in visitors since Wednesday's shock shooting of Slovakia's prime minister, Robert Fico, which has prompted soul-searching among the country's deeply divided society.
The priest, who did not wish to give his full name, said he planned to hold his Sunday service and pray "for peace in Slovakia, so that we find mutual respect and understanding".
But beyond the centuries-old walls of his church, such language of unity is harder to find.
The assassination attempt in Handlová, less than 90 miles (145km) from the capital, Bratislava, which authorities have blamed on a lone wolf, has shone a light on what many say is a far wider crisis in a Slovakian society marred by toxicity and violence.
Less than an hour after the shooting, as Fico was being taken by helicopter to a local hospital - his condition deemed too critical for him to be flown back to Bratisvala for treatment - his allies rushed to launch attacks against the opposition and the civil society, accusing them of having blood on their hands.
L'uboš Blaha, the deputy speaker of parliament and a senior member of Fico's Smer party, said: "This is your work. I want to express my deep disgust at what you have been doing here for the last few years. You, the liberal media, the political opposition, what kind of hatred did you spread towards Robert Fico? You built gallows for him."
The interior minister, Matúš Šutaj Eštok, later warned: "We are on the doorstep of a civil war. The assassination attempt on the prime minister is a confirmation of that."
As of yesterday, Fico remained in intensive care, the government said, adding that any further information on the prime minister's condition would be made public "when the situation allows".
Fico's critics instead said that the divisive climate cultivated by the prime minister and his allies was partly to blame for the attack.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der May 18, 2024-Ausgabe von The Guardian.
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