Stanislav Stolárik was born on 27 February 1955 in Rožňava as a seventh of eight children. He grew up in Košice and studied theology at the Comenius University. Stolárik was ordained priest in 1978. He was active as a chaplain in Trebišov, Humenné and Prešov. In 1984 he became the parish priest in Obišovce and subsequently in Humenné, Čaňa and Prešov.[1]