On Saturday, October 5th, after three years, the next Diocesan Pilgrimage took place, which had seen close cooperation between the Pastoral Center and the Roman Catholic parish of Strakonice over the past time. It was held in the historic setting of the castle in Strakonice. On the eve, the youth gathered at St. Margaret's Church and the gymnasium for the Young Evening organized by DCM under the leadership of Father Rafael Kacy. The courtyard was bustling that evening as tents and a stage were being set up and preparations for the altar servers were underway.
Saturday morning filled the castle grounds with nearly 50 volunteers who prepared the liturgical space, refreshments, and stations for children. Around half past eight, the first buses of pilgrims began to arrive, greeted by young ushers. “Despite the bad weather, it is a joy to watch the increasing number of pilgrims filling the courtyard of our Strakonice castle into one large community,” commented the arrival of pilgrims Petr Dvořák, a co-organizer from the parish of Strakonice.
A special guest and the main celebrant of this pilgrimage was Apostolic Nuncio Mons Jude Thaddeus Okolo, who captivated all the pilgrims with his smile. “It was a great honor for me to serve as a deacon alongside such a charismatic person,” describes his experience Deacon Václav Pikeš from Sušice. In his homily, the Apostolic Nuncio emphasized that the Holy Spirit shapes the unity of our church and that He is also our personal advocate who always stands up for us. We all need such an intercessor. “The strongest impression I carry is from the humanity of the nuncio. An amazing man, simple, joyful, and spreading goodwill,” shares her impressions Mrs. Milada Pouzarová, adding: “Furthermore, I met many acquaintances who remembered me from the bishop's office.”
After the Holy Mass, the pilgrims could choose from three interesting lectures and a children's program. “The children's program sparked such interest among the little pilgrims that their desire to explore and create spread contagiously to the adults,” says catechist Štěpánka Talířová from the Krumlov vicariate, who was in charge of one of the 11 stations. The Knight's Hall, where the biographical lecture of the nuncio took place, quickly filled up. There was also great interest from parents in a very insightful and practical lecture by the Imlauf couple from Prague on how parents can help their children and teenagers in building a healthy identity. The church of St. Prokop was equally filled, where the barefoot Carmelite, priest and subprior of the Prague Infant Jesus Monastery, Pavel Pola, OCD introduced the attendees to contemplative prayer, which in the Christian tradition is understood as a relationship of friendship with God, dwelling in God's presence, a journey into one's own depths, or listening to the voice of silence with practical examples. At noon, the theater Teátr Pavla Šmída began a performance of the fairy tale from the alarm clock about the eccentric teacher Zeitmann, who travels the world teaching children a new subject called magazine, so they know how to handle time well.
At the end of the pilgrimage, both children and adults filled the church of St. Margaret to the last spot. Before the closing blessing of the nuncio and Bishop Vlastimil, the children received their rewards. Many were surprised by the number of pilgrims despite the unfavorable weather. “It was a beautiful testimony that the church united around our shepherds is a true family,” says Mrs. Štěpánka Talířová. Mrs. Markéta Štětková from the parish of Hosín adds: “I must say that I am still processing everything. But in any case, excellent organization, a diverse program, and many well-prepared people despite the not very favorable weather. Enriching guests. I leave very pleasantly spiritually refreshed.” Tomáš Petrů from the parish of Jindřichův Hradec also leaves satisfied: “From the diocesan pilgrimage, I am glad that we managed to wake up early with the children and, together with our parish, embark on a pilgrimage to Strakonice, that it stopped raining, from the shared experience of the Holy Mass, and from the number of children who traveled to the pilgrimage from all over the diocese; I was pleased with the selection of liturgical texts on the Holy Spirit and the homily of the Apostolic Nuncio.”
Next year, the Family Pilgrimage will take place in Písek on June 14, and in 2026, the Children's Pilgrimage will be in Borovany. “It was again a great adventure, and a big thank you belongs to the pulsating parishioners of Strakonice,” concludes the satisfied director of the Pastoral Center, Father Tomas van Zavrel, adding: “And now we need to find a suitable place for the next Diocesan Pilgrimage in 2027.”
Did you enjoy the diocesan pilgrimage? Would you like to support similar events? You can find the necessary information here.
Check out the photos in our gallery.The author of the photographs is Michal Klečka, a photographer of the association Human and Faith.
You should also read this testimony from a pilgrimage participant and a father of a family.
