Wenceslas Celebrations Have Begun

The celebrations in honour of St. Wenceslas, the chief patron saint of the Czech Republic, commenced on September 3, 2011 in the Zlatá Koruna Monastery near Český Krumlov with the first concert of the annual festival St. Wenceslas Festivities. The Festival is one of three key event series that will culminate on the saint’s feast-day, September 28, in a solemn service at the site of his martyrdom, Stará Boleslav.

Prague/Stará Boleslav: The number of institutions and organizations to join the celebrations of St. Wenceslas is growing each year. The 20^th volume of the international festival of sacred art St. Wenceslas Festivities started on September 3 and is to end on October 2, 2011. The Days of Czech Statehood NGO is preparing a theatrical symphony of the HaDivadlo Theatre Brno entitled “Česká měna” (Czech Currency) at the New Stage of the Czech National Theatre. “The goal of the project is to introduce the contemporary Czech money bills as one of the state symbols. That is why the main characters are historical personages pictured on the bills, including St. Agnes (50-Crown bills with St. Agnes have been withdrawn from circulation - ed. note),” a representative of Days of Czech Statehood, Lucie Wittlichová, explains. The performance will be shown on channel ČT2 on September 28 at 9 p.m.

Traditionally, the National Pilgrimage to St. Wenceslas on September 28 will be the peak of St. Wenceslas celebrations. On the remembrance day of the saint’s martyrdom, the Archbishop of Prague Dominik Duka OP will celebrate a solemn divine service at Marian Square in Stará Boleslav. The service will be preceeded by a number of events, including a benefit St. Wenceslas Concert at the Basilica of St. Wenceslas on Sunday, September 18 at 3 p.m. The night before the feast-day, Wednesday 27, pilgrims will be able to welcome St. Wenceslas’ relic (skull) at the Basilica.

The programme of the September 28 National Pilgrimage starts with Angelus Domini at 6.25 a.m. and a Latin service at 7.00 a.m. After another two services at 8.00 and 9.00 a.m., the main pilgrimage mass will start at 10.00 a.m. In the afternoon, there will be a number of accompanying events at the Marian Square and in the Summer Cinema Houštka. The spiritual program will be concluded by a concert of Václav Hudeček at 5 p.m. at Assumption of Our Lady Church.