Thousands attend mass in Stará Boleslav on St. Wenceslas Day

Several thousand people gathered in the town of Stará Boleslav on Saturday for the annual pilgrimage of St. Wenceslas dedicated to the patron saint of the Czech nation. An open air mass held outside the church where the prince was murdered by dissenters, was celebrated by Prague Archbishop Jan Graubner. Senate President Miloš Vystrčil was also in attendance, as well as other church leaders, politicians, army officials, and ambassadors.

Stará Boleslav is the oldest Czech pilgrimage site associated with the cult of Saint Wenceslas, which was spread throughout Europe by Charles IV. September 28 has been an official state public holiday in Czechia since 2000 and is marked in the calendar as the Day of Czech Statehood. The National St. Wenceslas Pilgrimage was restored by the Roman Catholic Church in 2003.