St. Wenceslas Pilgrimage: A procession with the palladium of the Czech Republic passed through Prague
The procession, headed by the clergyman Jiří Koníček, left the St. George’s Basilica shortly after 1:00 p.m. Then there was a prayer for President Miloš Zeman and political officials. Subsequently, the procession headed to St. Vitus Cathedral, where people prayed at the grave of St. Wenceslas in the St. Wenceslas Chapel. From the temple, the process headed to Hradčanské náměstí, where the faithful were blessed by Prague Archbishop Jan Graubner.
Believers later too they honored the Infant Jesus of Prague in the Church of Our Lady Victorious in Karmelitská Street and continued to the Church of St. Francis of Assisi on Křižovnické náměstí. There he will pray to St. Agnes of the Czech Republic. Other stops will be the chapel of the Old Town Hall and the church of Matka Boží before Týnem, where they will venerate the love image of the Virgin Mary Rynecká. After 16:45, a prayer for the nation will be heard on Wenceslas Square at the statue of St. Wenceslas on Wenceslas Square.
The palladium of the Czech land, or Staroboleslav palladium, probably dates back to the 80s of the 14th century, legends, however, linked it to St. Ludmila, St. Wenceslas, but there are other regional patrons – St. Cyril and Methodius, St. Vojtěch or St. John of Nepomuck. The palladium, which, according to legend, St. Wenceslas wore on his chest throughout his life, is now permanently located in Stará Boleslav and is only exhibited on rare occasions. The Prague procession carried a copy of it. According to Catholic tradition, the palladium protective shield accompanied Saint Wenceslas when he set out from Prague Castle to negotiate peace with his enemies, to protect Prague and ensure peace in the Czech lands.
St. Wenceslas’ pilgrimage through Prague with the Palladium of the Czech Land, the image of the Old Boleslav Madonna, which has been one of the symbols of Czech statehood for centuries, September 27, 2022, Prague.
Author: ČTK / Krumphanzl Michal