People of Good Will to Crowd Velehrad

The 20th volume of the “Days of People of Good Will” is going to take place at Velehrad on June 4-5, 2011, as a part of the traditional Ss. Cyril and Methodius Celebrations on the day of their feast day and the state holiday. This year, the celebrations anticipate the saints’ jubilee.

Velehrad: On Monday, July 4, 2011 from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m., the annual National Pilgrimage to the missionaries Ss. Cyril and Methodius, who had brought the Christian faith and laid the foundations of Moravian and Czech written culture, is to take place at the most important place of pilgrimage in the Czech Republic. This year’s celebrations are special in being connected with the first year of preparation for the 1150^th anniversary of the sants’ mission to Great Moravia. The innitiation sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist became the themes of the three years preceeding the anniversary in 2013.

Therefore, the National Pilgrimage to Velehrad is to cap the Year of Baptism. Visitors will be able to take part in the usual projects which include chain transcription of the Bible by hand, afternoon entertainment programme “Children’s Velehrad”, sport competitions, an international meeting of wheelchaired people (who will celebrate a mass together at 4 p.m.) or environmental activities. There will also be photographic competitions, the travellers’ competition “Velehrad Passport” and a presentation of charity organizations and various movements and communities.

Traditionally, the Stojanov Grammar School is to host several photographic exhibitions, some of them winners of last year’s competitions. Among others, they will present Czech Prison Pastoration and sacred architecture of the Archdiocese of Olomouc. The exhibitions will include presentation of various movements and communities and of the Pontifical mission societies.

The day will be crowned by the annual concert entitled “People of Good Will Eve” which will traditionally provide space for the presentation of several charitable organizations and the opportunity to support them via donation SMS and will be broadcasted by the Czech state TV. This year’s receivers of this help will be St. John Nepomucene Neumann Hospice in Prachatice, Don Bosco Centre in Pardubice, Jan Deyl Conservatory and High-School for the visually impaired in Prague and the ADIUVARE Foundation. Among the musicians performing, the Czech folk violinist Jiří Pavlica or the American singer John Michael Talbot will appear. Various supplies by Church movements and communities will ensue at 9 p.m. on the main stage, while an opportunity for adoration will open at the Velehrad Basilica.

The second day, July 5, the feastday of Ss. Cyril and Methodius, celebrations will climax in a solemn divine service at the Basilica at 10.30 a.m. which will be celebrated by the Archbishop of Olomouc, Msgr. Jan Graubner and concelebrated by the Bohemian, Moravian and Silesian bishops. Two hours earlier, first-year priests will celebrate a divine service as well. In the afternoon, prof. Petr Piťha will give a lecture on “Preparations for the jubilee of 2013” and there will be another service celebrated, this time according to the slavonic-bysanthian liturgy of St. John Chrysostom.