The Diocese of Plzeň made a pilgrimage to St. Wenceslaus in Rome. The highlight was a Mass held at St. Peter's Basilica.
Approximately 700 pilgrims from the Pilsen diocese embarked on a pilgrimage to Rome over the extended weekend of September 27th and 28th, to honor St. Wenceslaus, the patron saint of the Czech lands. The pilgrimage was characterized by communal prayer, fellowship, and reflection on the fact that the Church is not a community of people who are identical, but rather of those who wish to follow Christ together. The highlight of the pilgrimage was a solemn Mass held on Monday, September 28th, in St. Peter's Basilica.
Mass at the Basilica of Santa Croce.
The pilgrimage began on Sunday with a joint holy Mass in the Basilica of Santa Croce in Jerusalem. The basilica was filled with pilgrims from the entire Pilsen diocese, who had come to Rome by various routes and from different places, to become one pilgrim community for two days.
We have all come from different places to be together in this one place. This place is God’s and each of us has the opportunity to bring something here, said Bishop Tomáš Holub in his homily. He also raised the question that, according to him, stands before every community: “Are we prepared to listen to and forgive one another?”
Bishop Holub built upon his pastoral letter and added that the unity of the Church is not based on its members having the same opinions, personalities, or pace. According to him, the Church should not be a community of people who are identical, but rather a community of people who want to follow Christ together. "I invite you to a unity that is not based on being the same, but on walking together with Christ and following Him," he said.
According to the bishop, this community is not merely a human endeavor; it is the Church of the Lord, in which Christ acts, showing the way and calling people to walk with him even in the realities of everyday life. He therefore urged the pilgrims to listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit and to seek answers to the question of what the Church should do and what it needs to let go of. The diocese has also received a common direction through the diocesan synod, and now it is necessary to take further concrete steps.
Let us all step forward together, but not with the same step, nor at the same pace, but in the same direction, said the bishop. He also urged patience and unity, which does not mean eliminating differences, but is strong enough to carry them. “Let us restore faith that the Church is not a human organization, but God’s Ecclesia,” he said in his homily.
Saint Wenceslas and the wisdom that sees beyond the horizon.
On Monday, September 28th, the pilgrimage culminated in a solemn Mass held at St. Peter's Basilica. The service took place in the evening, on the feast day of Saint Wenceslaus, the patron saint of the Czech lands. So many Czech pilgrims attended that the area within St. Peter's Basilica designated for Czech pilgrims was completely filled.
Bishop Tomáš Holub, in his welcoming address, reminded that Saint Wenceslas remains an important figure for Czech society precisely because of his ability to see beyond the immediate horizon. “One thing that is common in our reverence for Saint Wenceslas is that we repeatedly emphasize that he was a realist, that he had perspective, that he saw beyond the horizon, and that he contributed to ensuring that this perspective was present in the Czech nation,” he said.
In his homily, the bishop also spoke about the biblical texts of the feast, which speak of wisdom. According to him, wisdom does not merely mean the ability to understand, but also the ability to recognize good in the reality of this world. He says that every person is invited to such wisdom.
"Today we remember a man who strived for this wisdom. I ask you to invoke Saint Wenceslas and to follow that narrow path called wisdom," said Bishop Holub. According to him, the story of Saint Wenceslas also shows that following this path means taking risks. Christian hope leads people beyond what is immediately visible.
"May the hope that we celebrate today extend beyond the horizons of this world. May we celebrate here this wisdom rooted in Christ, which is a hope that will not disappoint," the bishop concluded his homily.
The solemn service was accompanied by the choir of the Church Gymnasium in Pilsen. For its members, participating in the mass at St. Peter's Basilica was the culmination of several months of preparation. "The rehearsals were very intense; we met every week. Sometimes it was quite demanding," said Veronika Nová. According to her, the preparation was also a testament and an evangelization experience. "There are few believers from our school who have even attended a mass, so everyone put in a lot of effort to learn the music. I think it's also a form of evangelization because these girls go everywhere and sing 'Lamb of God'," she added.
The service concluded with a solemn procession to the altar of St. Wenceslaus. Approximately 700 Czech pilgrims gathered there to pray together for their country. The St. Peter's Basilica then resonated with the "St. Wenceslaus" hymn, followed by the Czech national anthem.
The mass was also attended by representatives from the Plzeň and Karlovy Vary regions, including their regional governors and mayors. Finally, they met with representatives of parishes whose churches or chapels have been transferred to the administration of local municipalities in the pilgrimage center of Velehrad.
For pilgrims, the journey to Rome was primarily an opportunity for fellowship and connection. "Meeting friends in person in Rome is significant! Seeing a crowded church filled with pilgrims, not just from the Pilsen diocese, all seated in every available space, always brings joy to every believer," said pilgrim Pavel Primus. He also thanked the organizers of the pilgrimage and everyone who contributed to it, as well as those who prayed at home for those who were unable to travel to Rome this time. "I had wished to visit Rome for my birthday, and that wish came true. I am thrilled with the entire pilgrimage. We are here with a tour agency, so we have seen many sights, but we also had some time to stop and reflect," shared one of the participants.
Kateřina Odvodyová
