Q. I read that Catholic Church records in Slovakia were destroyed during World War II. How can I find baptismal records for my father and his siblings?

A. Actually, most Slovak Catholic records are intact. You have especially good odds of finding baptisms for people born before the mid-1890s. But first, it's important to know which kind of Catholic — Roman or Greek — your family was, as present-day Slovakia is home to people of both religions. Signs your family might have been Greek Catholic include attendance at Byzantine or Carpatho-Russian (sometimes referred to as Carpatho-Rusyn) Orthodox churches, and documents (such as passenger arrival records) listing Ruthenian as the nationality.