Bishop Edward Malesic and Father Dan Schlegel, secretary and vicar for clergy and religious, are journeying with about 60 faithful from the Diocese of Cleveland on a pilgrimage to Poland, the Czech Republic and Germany. The trip was organized by the Catholic Community Foundation. Highlights of day eight are featured in the photo gallery above and in the story below.
The pilgrims spent much of their eighth day walking around the city of Prague. They began with a visit to the Royal Castle and St. George’s Basilica, which took more than 600 years to build and is the oldest surviving church structure within the castle.
While walking through the old city, the group visited the church of Our Lady Victorious, where they saw the famous Infant of Prague statue. They learned the story of the statue and attended Mass in the church before taking a break for lunch and to see the Old Town center. They saw the Golden Lane, an ancient street of 11 historic houses within the Prague Castle complex.
After lunch, they continued exploring the city, crossing the Charles Bridge to visit Old Town, which is considered one of the best-preserved historical cities in Europe. It is one of the oldest neighborhoods and is considered possibly the most beautiful square in the city.
Among the other sites the pilgrims saw were the Old Town Square and the Town Hall, with its famous Astronomical Clock that comes alive when striking the hour, as the 12 apostles appear to bless the crowd. They also saw the Church of Our Lady Before Tyn, a dominant feature in Old Town Prague that dates to about 1380.
Some off the group went to the Monastery of St. Agnes, which houses medieval artifacts from about 1300-1500. The museum features medieval art from central Europe including a great deal of Church art and Madonnas, Mary Magdalene, Jesus, the apostles and the saints.
The pilgrims enjoyed a boat trip on the river and dinner to finish out the day.
(Photos and information provided by Father Dan Schlegel and Deacon Dennis Conrad.)