ACTUALITY

On the occasion of the beatification of the martyr and the Czech Cistercian P. Dominik Zavřel, the pilgrimage house provided accommodation to the prior of the monastery in Vyšší Brod, P. Justin Berka, and his two confreres, who came to the celebration with P. Ettler on Thursday, April 15, 2021. On Saturday 17.4. took part in the celebration of the beatification in the Cistercian abbey of Casamari, about 115 km from Rome, where P. Zavřel worked and where he was beaten as a martyr of the Eucharist by French soldiers together with five other confreres.

Since the autumn of 2020, furniture has been produced in Nosislav in Moravia for the new chapel in Velehrad. The current strict measures allow for business trips, so it was possible to transport furniture as well as kneelers made in Olomouc. The three workers not only assembled the new furniture, but also helped to hang the pictures in the new part and move out the old archive. The house is again a bit more prepared for the arrival of pilgrims.

Thanks to the willingness of the Vice-Rector of the Pontifical College Nepomucenum, Father Vojtěch Novotný, despite the quarantine measures, the blessing of the house could take place on the feast of the Epiphany – Three Kings. The family of the Ambassador of the Czech Republic to the Holy See, Mr. Václav Kolaja, also took part in the prayer for the house. Thanks to them, we were able to spread the blessings of the new year to all areas of the house. Because a group from Brno, which visits Rome every year at this time, could not come this year, we contacted at least some of them via video conference and took them home online.

At Christmas 2020, quarantine measures will make it difficult to visit Rome and other beautiful Italian cities. So we want to share with you photos from our walks, whether through the Christmas-decorated Rome or the almost empty city of Assisi. In Assisi, in addition to the Basilica of St. Francis and St. Klára also visited the Church of the Santuario della Spogliazione with the tomb of the new Blessed Carlo Acutis.

The time of All Souls’ Day invites the memory of the predecessor and founder of Velehrad. Therefore, on Tuesday, November 3, we visited the grave of P. Vojtěch (Adalbert) Hrubý, SDB and also his confrere P. Ladislav Dittrich, SDB, who have been working in the pilgrimage house since its beginning. Father Vojtěch remained registered in many hearts as a tireless guide and excellent expert on Rome and its surroundings.
The cemetery is located in the hills between the towns of Guidonia and Montecelio, which is situated on a hill and with its fortress rises high above the surrounding region. We were able to enjoy the beautiful scenery of the beginning of autumn.

From 12 to 15 October 2020, a meeting of the General Assembly of the Czech Religious Center Velehrad was held in the Pilgrimage House in Velehrad. The meeting itself will take place on Tuesday 13.10. Five members based in Rome took part in the Velehrad hall and P. Špaček and Mrs. Jobová from Switzerland also came. Thanks to the technology, however, other members were able to join the meeting via video conference. In the afternoon, thanks to the transfer via ZOOM, the members were able to go on a tour of the newly reconstructed building C. There was a warm and friendly atmosphere in the small community of those present. On Thursday we visited together the Cistercian abbey of Casamari, which is preparing for the beatification of the Czech native Dominic Zavřel and his 5 brother murdered by French soldiers on May 13, 1799.

Feast of St. Wenceslas and at the same time 52 years of existence of the pilgrimage house Velehrad in Rome, together with compatriots living and studying in Rome, we celebrated at the Mass in the Basilica of St. Peter. At 7:15 we met at the altar of St. Joseph, where the Mass Cardinal Michael F. Czerny, a native of the Czech Republic, served with Czech priests working in Rome. Mass was served in Czech and Cardinal Czerny also preached in Czech. In his speech, he addressed a topic that is close to him, and that is solidarity with the weakest, with people pushed to the margins of society. Ambassador Václav Kolaja played a large part in the realization of the whole celebration, and with his wife the Mass of St. also actively participated.

After Mass of St. in the procession we went to the altar of St. Wenceslaus, followed by a prayer for the nation and the singing of the St. Wenceslaus Chorale.

On Wednesday 2.9. after half a year, a general audience was held again, in which we also participated. It took place in the main courtyard of the Apostolic Palace, bearing the name of the Holy Pope Damasus (305-384). We climbed this square up the stairs to the level of the 2nd floor. Here begin the official visits of state officials, ambassadors, bishops coming ad limina apostolorum, and pass through here participants of special papal audiences held in one of the halls of the Apostolic Palace. Every year, on May 6, new recruits from the Swiss Guard take the oath here.

Pope Francis arrived in the square in a car and immediately walked among the believers present, of whom there were a few hundred – equipped with mask – to greet them from a distance of 2 meters. General audiences should take place again every Wednesday.

After a month’s break, life returns to Velehrad under strict hygienic measures. We used the time to buy flowers and plant pots in front of building C. The garden and fence around it will also help to create a pleasant environment. The remaining work in the house and on the recuperation system was completed. In order for the technical equipment on the terrace not to spoil the view of the house, the technicians installed railings around the terrace, the final form of which will be completed. We believe that the gradual decline of the coronavirus pandemic will open up opportunities for travel and the opportunity to open the doors of Velehrad to guests.