We continue getting prayer requests as we travel, which are pretty humbling. It has been a privilege to intercede for friends and family. Prague is full of old churches, but many are now concert halls and music venues. The Czech Republic is the least religious country in Europe—about 20% Catholic, 5% other and 75% atheist or agnostic. Many churches charge an entrance fee to go inside, and very few Masses are scheduled. But they hold the record ratio of people to dogs, 5 to 1, so the news is not all bad.
Our hotel is in the “New Town,” built in the 14th century. We started the day with a tour of Prague Castle in “Old Town,” built in the 9th century. This castle complex is the largest in Europe. We saw the outside of the St. Vitus Cathedral, which took over 1,000 to complete. I tried to take a photograph in the Basilica of St. George (built in 930) but was kicked out because I didn’t have a ticket. We then crossed the famous St. Charles’ Bridge to go into Old Town near the Astronomical Clock. The buildings and architecture are stunning. Almost everything in Prague is named after a King Charles (there were many.) But the best fun fact is that the father of Charles IV was Good King Wenceslaus (of Christmas carol fame), born in Prague.
We then left the tour group to walk to The Church of Our Lady Victorious, which is under major renovation, but we could still go inside and see The Infant Jesus of Prague. This church is another primary Catholic pilgrimage site. The interior was beautiful, but the exterior is undergoing renovation.
Another rest in the afternoon. Leroy went back to the pool while I wrote. We met Curtis and Linda for dinner at the hotel and headed out for the “Prague by Night” tour. It wasn’t dark yet, so we didn’t get to see the vista view with lights, but the lights were beautiful as we drove and walked around in the “Lesser” (as in smaller) city.
