#St. Agnes of Prague

[thepastisalreadywritten]

SAINT OF THE DAY (March 2)

Agnes of Bohemia, also known as Agnes of Prague, was born in Prague on 20 January 1211.

She was the daughter of King Ottocar I of Bohemia and Constance of Hungary, who was a relative of St. Elizabeth.

At an early age, she was sent to the monastery of Treinitz where she was educated in the hands of the Cistercian religious who would eventually become her rank.

She was betrothed to Henry, son of the Emperor Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor, but when the time arrived for the solemnization of the marriage, they backed out of the agreement.

Ottokar then planned for Agnes to marry Henry III of England, but this was vetoed by the Emperor, who wanted to marry Agnes himself.

She then dedicated herself to the resolution of consecrating herself to the service of God in the sanctuary of the cloister.

Emperor Frederick is said to have remarked:

"If she had left me for a mortal man, I would have taken vengeance with the sword, but I cannot take offence because in preference to me, she has chosen the King of Heaven."

The servant of God entered the Order of St. Clare in the monastery of St. Saviour at Prague, which she herself had erected.

She was elected abbess of the monastery. Through this office, she became a model of Christian virtue and religious observance for all.

God favored her with the gift of miracles, and she predicted the victory of her brother Wenceslaus over the Duke of Austria.

Agnes lived out her life in the cloister, leading the monastery as abbess until her death on 2 March 1282.

She was beatified by Pope Pius IX in 1874 and canonized by Pope John Paul II on 12 November 1989.

[charlesreeza]

Thirteen Gothic Bohemian Madonnas

Convent of Agnes of Bohemia - National Gallery Prague

Madonna of Zbraslav, Prague 1350-1360 

Madonna of Vyšehrad (AKA Madonna of Rain), Prague c. 1356

Madonna of Rome, Prague before 1360

Madonna of Most, Prague before 1350

Madonna of Březnice, Prague, 1396

Madonna of Roudnice, Prague c. 1385

Madonna of Jindřichův Hradec, Prague c. 1410

Madonna Enthroned, Prague c. 1390

Madonna from St. Vitus Cathedral, c. 1400

Madonna of Svojšín, Prague after 1410

Madonna with Grapes, Bohemia 1538

Madonna of Doudleby, South Bohemia c. 1440

The Assumption from Deštná, South Bohemia c. 1450

Photos by Charles Reeza

[anastpaul]

First Saturday, Saturday of the Second Week in Lent, Nuestra Señora de las Apariciones / Our Lady of Apparitions, Madrid, Spain (1449) and the Saints for 2 March

First Saturday of the Month Saturday of the Second Week in Lent Nuestra Señora de las Apariciones / Our Lady of Apparitions, Madrid, Spain (1449) – 2 March:HERE:https://anastpaul.com/2021/03/02/our-lady-of-apparitions-madrid-spain-1449-and-memorials-of-the-saints-2-march/ St Absolon of Caesarea St Agnes of Prague/Bohemia (1211-1282) Virgin, Nun, Princess, Foundress, Abbess, Missionary of…

[dougrobyngoold]

A Feast for the Eyes & Stomach - Prague, Czech Republic

Prague is spectacular! We spent the morning walking the streets of Old Town, just taking in the ornate buildings against a crystal-blue sky. We watched the astronomical clock on the Old Town Hall strike the hour. Four figures representing Vanity, Greed, Death, and Lust are set in motion when the skeleton rings the bell. In the doorways, above the clock face, the Twelve Apostles appear upon the hour, too.

Astronomical clock on the Old Town Hall.

Close up of the clock tower.

Another view of Old Town Hall.

Church of Our Lady Before Tyn.

The buildings are so pretty and colorful....I might have taken too many pictures:

We wandered the streets a bit, just taking it all in and getting acquainted with the layout of old town. So many beautiful and tempting things - like a gingerbread store and candy stores - luckily, they were closed and we couldn’t purchase, just look!

I loved this little boy, he was completed entranced by this display window for one of the stores, I was right there with him!

Franz Kafka Monument in the Jewish Quarter - it depicts Franz Kafka riding on the shoulders of a headless figure, a reference to the author’s story “Description of a Struggle”. The work is by Jaroslav Rona.

Convent of St. Agnes of Bohemia - a rather plain building, compared to others we saw today.

Art display in one of the courtyards inside the convent.

Cute little courtyard restaurant, there are a multitude of these hidden gems throughout Prague.

Lunch and a couple of beers to cool off and refuel for our afternoon adventures. We try to find places that are a little off of the main squares and tourist areas - less crowded and less expensive, generally.

We crossed the Vltava River on our way up to the Prague Castle, our destination for the afternoon.

St. Vitus Cathedral, quite stunning as you complete the climb up to the plaza on the Prague Castle grounds.

The front of St. Vitus Cathedral.

Inside St. Vitus (pictured above), quite massive and elaborate. The stained glass windows were magnificent:

The organ - would have loved to have heard it being played!

Sooo, this macabre tomb of St. John of Nepomuk has an interesting story. I will let you explore this one on your own. 

St. Wenceslas Chapel, inside St. Vitus Cathedral. It is built on the former place where Wenceslas was buried. He is the patron saint of Czech lands. Wenceslas was a Bohemian prince who was assassinated by his brother, there are so many stories to remember!

Prague Castle complex, viewed from the plaza on the river-facing side of the castle.

A view of Prague from the castle complex.

St. George’s Basilica - also on the plaza of Prague Castle.

Golden Lane on the grounds of the Prague Castle got its name from the goldsmiths that lived there in the 17th century. Today it houses historical items and vendors.

We needed shade and a beer after our tour of the castle. Luckily, there was a beer garden just a few steps away!

Headed back across the Vltava River for a little rest before dinner!

We rarely do desserts, Doug less often than me. However, this evening we could not pass up these two treats - they were even tastier than they were beautiful! Good thing we walked as much as we did today!

[piouscatholic]

TRANSITUS OF OUR SERAPHIC MO. ST. CLARE OF ASSISI

(August 10, 2023)

The Transitus of St. Clare is celebrated on August 10, the eve of her feast day, to commemorate her death and entry into eternal life.

(Transitus refers to "the time of passage through death to life". It consecrates the passage of the dying to eternal life.)

As the sisters crying over the passing of their mother, St. Clare, she began to commend her soul by saying: “Go in Peace, because you will have a good escort. The One Who created you has already provided for you by being holy. The One Who created you has infused the Holy Spirit in you and then guarded you as a mother does her child.��

Tomorrow is St Clare’s feast day., HAPPY FIESTA!

***

St. Clare's Blessing

(Taken from Clare’s second letter to Agnes of Prague)

What you hold, may you always hold,

What you do, may you always do and never abandon.

But with swift pace, light step, unswerving feet,

so that even your steps stir up no dust,

may you go forward, securely, joyfully and swiftly,

on the path to prudent happiness,

not believing anything, not agreeing with anything

that would dissuade you from this resolution

or that would place a stumbling block for you on the way,

so that you may offer your vows to the Most High

in the pursuit of that perfection

to which the Spirit of the Lord has called you.

St. Clare of Assisi, PRAY FOR US!

Photo: The Death of Saint Clare Yoga Mat by Bartolome Esteban Murillo

[umichenginabroad]

Week 1: Adjusting to my new life!

Dobrý den! I’ll start off by saying… Jet lag is the worst! I arrived at the airport and the CEA team met me there and took me to my apartment. The apartment is much better than what I imagined, and it is in a really good location. I like the area where the apartment is because it is not in a “touristy” place, which means I get to practice the 3 words I know in Czech a little bit. I met my roommates and they were very very nice and I get along with them very well. The first day was a recovery day of the long 15 hour trip. I went to the supermarket nearby and got a few groceries so that I would be able to cook something for dinner. 

The next day was orientation! On the way there, my roommates and I got an acai bowl and stumbled upon a very cute park. At orientation, we got a little info session on Czech culture, and then we had a mini tour of some parts of the old town (it is GORGEOUS!). At night, we got together with some friends that live in the same building, and some that live across the street. They were all very nice and we had a good time getting to know each other and talking about what we want to do during our time abroad (spoiler alert: we are going to Berlin this weekend!). 

Classes have been great, and we have a group of around 5 girls that walk together to the CEA education center, which is around a 25-30 minute walk. The walk is nice and I get to learn how to navigate myself in this city! My calculus class is around 15 people, and right after I have the golden city of Prague class which is really fun. Each class we go on field trips around the old town. We have already visited the Jewish town, St. Agnes Convent, and tomorrow we are going to Prague Castle! In each class we discuss the history behind each art piece and the architecture of the places we visit, which is actually pretty interesting. 

During the weekend, I went to the old town and explored all the shops and markets that were around. I wanted to buy everything I saw, but I managed to have self control and only bought myself some strawberries that were great! We also had dinner with some of the girls at a place nearby called Zluta Pumpa, which had Mexican food (it was very good).

I look forward to sharing more of my experiences with you!

Čau!

Mariana Pardo

Biomedical Engineering

Engineering in Prague

[a-hodgepodge]

[gabijaugnyje]

Medieval sculpture. St Agnes convent. Prague

[donmichaelhudson]

"Crucifixion": Northwestern Bohemia (Kadan?), ca. 1516-1520

“Crucifixion”: Northwestern Bohemia (Kadan?), ca. 1516-1520

“Crucifixion”: Northwestern Bohemia (Kadan?), ca. 1516-1520Don Michael Hudson, PhD National Gallery Prague, Convent of St. Agnes of Bohemia, Medieval Art in Bohemia and Central Europe 1200-1550   Prague (Jun 21)   Q2 Mono     From the Franciscan Monastery in Kadan acquired in 1950.

[troybeecham]

Today, the Church remembers Saint Clare of Assisi (July 16, 1194 – August 11, 1253 AD). She was born as Chiara (Clara or Clare in English) Offreduccio, is an Italian saint and one of the first followers of Saint Francis of Assisi. She founded the Order of Poor Ladies, a monastic religious order for women in the Franciscan tradition, and wrote their Rule of Life, the first set of monastic guidelines known to have been written by a woman. Following her death, the order she founded was renamed in her honor as the Order of Saint Clare, commonly referred to today as the Poor Clares.

Ora pro nobis.

St. Clare was born in Assisi, the eldest daughter of Favorino Sciffi, Count of Sasso-Rosso, and his wife Ortolana. Traditional accounts say that Clare's father was a wealthy representative of an ancient Roman family, who owned a large palace in Assisi and a castle on the slope of Mount Subasio. Ortolana belonged to the noble family of Fiumi, and was a very devout woman who had undertaken pilgrimages to Rome, Santiago de Compostela and the Holy Land. Later in life, Ortolana entered Clare's monastery, as did Clare's sisters, Beatrix and Catarina (who took the name Agnes).

As a child, Clare was devoted to prayer. Although there is no mention of this in any historical record, it is assumed that Clare was to be married in line with the family tradition. However, at the age of 18 she heard Francis preach during a Lenten service in the church of San Giorgio at Assisi and asked him to help her to live after the manner of the Gospel. On the evening of Palm Sunday, March 20, 1212, she left her father's house and accompanied by her aunt Bianca and another companion proceeded to the chapel of the Porziuncula to meet Francis. There, her hair was cut, and she exchanged her rich gown for a plain robe and veil.

Francis placed Clare in the convent of the Benedictine nuns of San Paulo, near Bastia. Her father attempted to force her to return home. She clung to the altar of the church and threw aside her veil to show her cropped hair. She resisted any attempt, professing that she would have no other husband but Jesus Christ. In order to provide the greater solitude Clare desired, a few days later Francis sent her to Sant' Angelo in Panzo, another monastery of the Benedictine nuns on one of the flanks of Subasio. Clare was soon joined by her sister Catarina, who took the name Agnes. They remained with the Benedictines until a small dwelling was built for them next to the church of San Damiano, which Francis had repaired some years earlier.

Other women joined them, and they were known as the "Poor Ladies of San Damiano". They lived a simple life of poverty, austerity and seclusion from the world, according to a Rule which Francis gave them as a Second Order (Poor Clares).

San Damiano became the center of Clare's new religious order, which was known in her lifetime as the "Order of Poor Ladies of San Damiano". San Damiano was long thought to be the first house of this order, however, recent scholarship strongly suggests that San Damiano actually joined an existing network of women's religious houses organized by Hugolino (who later became Pope Gregory IX). Hugolino wanted San Damiano as part of the order he founded because of the prestige of Clare's monastery. San Damiano emerged as the most important house in the order, and Clare became its undisputed leader. By 1263, just ten years after Clare's death, the order had become known as the Order of Saint Clare.

In 1228, when Gregory IX offered Clare a dispensation from the vow of strict poverty, she replied: "I need to be absolved from my sins, but not from the obligation of following Christ." Accordingly, the Pope granted them the Privilegium Pauperitatis — that nobody could oblige them to accept any possession.

Unlike the Franciscan friars, whose members moved around the country to preach, Saint Clare's sisters lived in enclosure, since an itinerant life was hardly conceivable at the time for women. Their life consisted of manual labor and prayer. The nuns went barefoot, slept on the ground, ate no meat and observed almost complete silence.

For a short period, the order was directed by Francis himself. Then in 1216, Clare accepted the role of abbess of San Damiano. As abbess, Clare had more authority to lead the order than when she was the prioress and required to follow the orders of a priest heading the community. Clare defended her order from the attempts of prelates to impose a rule on them that more closely resembled the Rule of Saint Benedict than Francis' stricter vows. Clare sought to imitate Francis' virtues and way of life so much so that she was sometimes titled ‘alter Franciscus’, another Francis. She also played a significant role in encouraging and aiding Francis, whom she saw as a spiritual father figure, and she took care of him during his final illness.

After Francis's death, Clare continued to promote the growth of her order, writing letters to abbesses in other parts of Europe and thwarting every attempt by each successive pope to impose a rule on her order which weakened the radical commitment to corporate poverty she had originally embraced. Clare's Franciscan theology of joyous poverty in imitation of Christ is evident in the rule she wrote for her community and in her four letters to Agnes of Prague.

In 1224, the army of Frederick II came to plunder Assisi. Clare went out to meet them with the Blessed Sacrament in her hands. Suddenly a mysterious terror seized the enemies, who fled without harming anybody in the city.

In her later years, Clare endured a long period of poor health. She died on August 11, 1253 at the age of 59. Her last words as reported to have been, "Blessed be You, O God, for having created me."

O God, whose blessed Son became poor that we through his poverty might be rich: Deliver us from an inordinate love of this world, that we, inspired by the devotion of your servant Clare, may serve you with singleness of heart, and attain to the riches of the age to come; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Amen.

[thepastisalreadywritten]

SAINT OF THE DAY (March 2)

St. Agnes was born in Prague in the year 1200 and probably died in the year 1281.

She was the daughter of Ottocar, King of Bohemia, and Constance of Hungary, who was a relative of St. Elizabeth.

At an early age, she was sent to the monastery of Treinitz, where she was educated in the hands of the Cistercian religious, who would eventually become her rank.

She was betrothed to Henry, son of Emperor Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor, but when the time arrived for the solemnization of the marriage, they backed out of the agreement.

Ottocar then planned for Agnes to marry Henry III of England, but this was vetoed by the Emperor, who wanted to marry Agnes himself.

She then dedicated herself to the resolution of consecrating herself to the service of God in the sanctuary of the cloister.

Emperor Frederick is said to have remarked:

"If she had left me for a mortal man, I would have taken vengeance with the sword, but I cannot take offence because in preference to me, she has chosen the King of Heaven."

The servant of God entered the Order of St. Clare in the monastery of St. Saviour at Prague, which she herself had erected.

She was elected abbess of the monastery, and through this office, became a model of Christian virtue and religious observance for all.

God favored her with the gift of miracles, and she predicted the victory of her brother Wenceslaus over the Duke of Austria.

The exact year of Agnes' death is not certain, but 1281 is the most probable date.

She was beatified by Pope Pius IX in 1874. He was canonized by Pope John Paul II on 12 November 1989.

[asmybreathkissesthewindow]

To your Prague anon; I recommend the restaurant Kantýna, which is a small canteen where you pay for whatever you get by weight. Very traditional food. There is also Globe books, a nice English bookstore with a cafe in the back. And if you have any interest in Medieval Christian imagery the Convent of St. Agnes of Bohemia is very interesting.

~~~

[pale-tenant]

“Without God, all is night, and with him light is useless.” E.M. Cioran

[anastpaul]

Nuestra Señora de las Apariciones / Our Lady of Apparitions, Madrid, Spain (1449) and Memorials of the Saints - 2 March

Thursday of the First Week in Lent – Fast Nuestra Señora de las Apariciones / Our Lady of Apparitions, Madrid, Spain (1449) – 2 March:HERE:https://anastpaul.com/2021/03/02/our-lady-of-apparitions-madrid-spain-1449-and-memorials-of-the-saints-2-march/ St Absolon of Caesarea St Agnes of Prague/Bohemia (1211-1282) Nun, Princess, Foundress, Abbess, Missionary of Charity and Mercy – Patron of the…

[hieromonkcharbel]

Look at the border of this mirror (Christ), that is, the poverty of Him Who was placed in a manger and wrapped in swaddling clothes. O marvellous humility! O astonishing poverty! The King of angels, the Lord of heaven and earth, is laid in a manger!

Then, in the depth of this same mirror, contemplate the ineffable charity that led Him to suffer on the wood of the Cross and to die there the most shameful kind of death. Therefore, that Mirror, suspended on the wood of the Cross, urged those who passed by to consider, saying: “All you who pass by the way, look and see if there is any suffering like My suffering!" Let us respond with one voice, with one spirit, to Him crying and grieving Who said, "Remembering this over and over leaves My soul downcast within Me!" From this moment, then, O Queen of our heavenly King, let yourself be inflamed more strongly with the fervour of charity.

—St Clare of Assisi, Letter IV to St Agnes of Prague

[umichenginabroad]

WEEK 1: Arriving in Prague!

Dobry den!! I finally made it and I couldn’t be happier to be here! I checked into my apartment in Prague 2 (the best location in my opinion) and it’s pretty nice! I share a room with my friend Alyse and we have our own bathroom attached to the room. The kitchen/living room area is also very spacious and can accommodate lots of people! I met my roommates and we were all instantly best friends- I got so lucky!!

My roommates and I and the living area of our apartment

On our first weekend here, we checked out so many cool restaurants, parks, cafes, and historical sights. One of my favorite spots was Manifesto Market in Andel. I saw it on tik tok and it was super cool! So many options for food- I got a poke bowl and my roommates got tacos and everything was so good! I definitely want to come back when it’s less busy and sit by the pool!

Manifesto market in Andel

One of our favorite activities to do here is watch the sunset at a park beer garden. So far, my favorites are Riegrovy Sady and Letna Park. So many people come to sit on a blanket and enjoy the evening and it’s so pretty! (You can see the Prague Castle in the background if you look closely)

Sunset at Riegrovy Sady

Speaking of Prague Castle, I went there with my sister when she came to visit this weekend, and it was so cool! You can see the whole city from the top! I was also able to come back this week with my class, and we climbed 300 stairs to the top of the tower!

Prague Castle

We started classes at the CEA center, and my apartment is about a 30 minute walk away, which I like to do (rather than tram) to get some exercise before class. I really like my linear algebra class so far- it’s very interesting to me and I love math. There’s about ten people in our class, and one of them is a girl in my apartment building. This has been very helpful because we’ve been walking there, getting lunch in between classes (The Spot and Cacao Prague are good cafes right near CEA), and tramming home together. My other class about art history is also pretty interesting, and we get to do a “field visit” in every class! It’s very interesting to walk around the city and see things about Prague’s history, art, and architecture, because there are a lot of sights I wouldn’t have known about otherwise. So far, we’ve been to some Jewish synagogues, the St. Agnes Convent, and the Prague Castle.

The CEA Center and a synagogue

I’m going to start sharing some of my favorite things each week!

Weekly favorites:

Cafe: Cafe Mistral (super cute study spot)

Rooftop: Terrace at Hotel U Prince (the picture of my roommates and I)

Restaurant: Manifesto Andel

Coffee: iced caramel latte with almond milk at Cacao Prague (very American I know)

Food: blueberry pancakes at the Flat Cafe

Sight: Prague Castle

Thanks for following along during my first week in Prague!! So many more fun adventures to come!

Parker Peterson

Industrial and Operations Engineering

Engineering in Prague