Author - Velehrad

Christmas time has an unrepeatable charm, thanks to the hope brought by the newborn Child in Bethlehem. This year, this hope was especially needed - after the tragic events in Prague close to Christmas. The team of the Centre Velehrad in Rome joined the prayers and the day of national mourning by making a penitential pilgrimage to Poggio Bustone, where St Francis experienced the forgiveness of his sins from his youth, and to Cascia to St Rita, the patroness in hopeless situations. Even over the "Valle santa" - the Sacred Valley around Rieti - the bell rang, commemorating the victims of the Prague shooting.

The Christmas season also brought with it many beautiful things: as every year, the Slovak carolers sang us some carols. They came not only to cheer their compatriots in Rome and to support the mission in Africa with the proceeds, but also to meet the Holy Father Francis at the New Year's Mass. On the last night of the old year, they also joined in a prayer of thanksgiving  which the guests of the house were invited to. The traditional blessing of the house took place in the evening of the Three Kings' Day, with the powerful singing of carols, ending with a short prayer together in the chapel. Throughout, the atmosphere of the house was enhanced by the simple but eloquent Christmas decorations.

In the week from October 16, 2023, the annual meeting of the ČNS Velehrad General Assembly took place in the premises of the Pilgrimage House. Opening Holy mass was presided over by Prague Auxiliary Bishop Zdenek Wasserbauer, who was participating in the Synod about Synodality in the Vatican for the whole month as a delegate of the Czech Bishops' Conference. The Pilgrimage House Velehrad was happy to provide him with a background in this mission, as well as Mrs. Monica Klimentová, ČBK press secretary.

About twenty members of the ČNS, both from Rome and those living in the Czech Republic or abroad, gathered for the general meeting, others joined online. Together they looked back at the events of the past year, reflected on it, looked to the future and looked for how the Pilgrimage House could fulfill its mission even better. Last but not least, there was space for nice friendly meetings, especially during the Thursday trip to Greccio and Fonte Colombo. Both are places associated with St. Francis of Assisi and this year's 800th anniversary of his first Nativity scene in Greccio and the writing of the Rule in Fonte Colombo. There was also a traditional stop in Frascati. The community of travelers or pilgrims was also enriched by their friends who came to Rome with them.

On the day of the celebration of St. Wenceslas, the Velehrad Pilgrimage House celebrated 55 years of its existence. For his half-round birthday, it received as a gift a pilgrimage from the parish of Ostrava-Zábřeh (organized by CK Křížek), which was intensively devoted by the sisters during the entire "birthday" week. The people of Ostrava accompanied their bishop Martin David to the celebration of the pontifical Holy mass  on the occasion of the celebration of the Czech national patron in the Basilica of St. Peter in the Vatican. This Holy Mass is one of the traditional opportunities for Czech pilgrims and compatriots to meet and is annually sponsored and organized by the Embassy of the Czech Republic at the Holy See in the person of Mr. Ambassador Václav Kolaja. He also invited all present Czech pilgrims to the terrace of our Pilgrimage House for a mini-concert by the Ondrášek Choir from Nový Jičín, which had previously accompanied the Holy Mass, and there was plenty of refreshments. In addition to about a hundred pilgrims from Ostrava, the meeting in a beautiful friendly atmosphere was attended by their Bishop David, the invitation was also accepted by the former nuncio in Prague, Archbishop Leanza, and many of the compatriots living in Rome.

Almost a month later, following the mentioned anniversary of the house, the embassy used the space of the hall at the reception to acquaint family members of diplomats working at the Holy See with the life of the founder of the Pilgrimage House and the great Czech witness of the faith, Cardinal Josef Beran, a candidate for beatification.

In the last days of June, the Pilgrimage House welcomed some honoured guests: first, on the 28^th June it had the honor to host at the lunch superiorsof all the Czech and Slovak priestly seminaries, who had during these days in Rome a meeting with colleagues from other seminaries and also visited the relevant authorities and the Dicastery.

The following day, the Ex- Apostolic Nuncio in the Czech Republic, currently in Australia, Mons. Charles D. Balvo, accepted an invitation to a friendly dinner.

A pleasant meeting at the annual tasting of blessed Pilsner beer on the terrace of the Velehrad Pilgrimage House is becoming a lovely tradition. This year, the Embassy of the Czech Republic at the Holy See organized it in the afternoon of April 11. It was attended by members of the diplomatic corps, people in the Vatican services, former nuncio to the Czech Republic, Msgr. Leanza and representatives of the Czech community in Rome. The opening speech and the symbolic tapping of the wooden barrel were done by Mr. Ambassador Václav Kolaj with the help of the most qualified expert, emeritus chief brewer Mr. Berka. The atmosphere in the sunny weather was more than friendly.

The Easter triduum, through which we make present and relive the central mystery of faith, i.e. the redemptive suffering, death and resurrection of Christ, had a unique atmosphere in our house this year. A group of Slovak pilgrims led by Msgr. Spišák from the Archdiocese of Košice although was not staying in our house, she celebrated this liturgy here and with us. On Good Friday, the flock of present people was able tohonor the triumph of the cross, on Holy Saturday evening, during the renewal of baptismal vows, the light of the candles lit up the entire reception hall, which was transformed into a chapel, and Easter Alleluia! resounded the whole house... On the Easter feast, most of those present went to the papal Holly mass and the subsequent Urbi et Orbi blessing on the St. Peters-Square.