Prague, Czech Republic, February 11, 2020
Hierarchs of the Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia and of the Serbian Church came together this weekend to liturgically celebrate the glorification among the saints of several New Martyrs of the Czech-Slovak Church.
As OrthoChristian previously reported, Frs. Vladimír Petřek and Václav Čikl, as well as Ján Sonnevend, Václav Ornest, and Karel Louda and their families, who were companions of the highly-venerated Hieromartyr St. Gorazd (Pavlik), were canonized by the Holy Synod of the Czech-Slovak Church on October 10.
On Saturday, February 8, this decision was liturgically celebrated by His Eminence Archbishop Michael of Prague, His Eminence Archbishop Juraj of Michalovce and Košice, and His Grace Bishop Isihije of Mohács of the Serbian Orthodox Church at Sts. Cyril and Methodius Cathedral in Prague, reports Romfea.
The group of New Martyrs will be celebrated annually on September 5, the date of the martyrdom of Ján Sonnevend.
The hierarchs were also concelebrated by a number of priests and deacons. The decree on the canonization of the New Martyrs was signed by the hierarchs and descendants of the Martyrs who were present at the Liturgy.
The territory of the current Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia was part of the Serbian Church at the time that the New Martyrs lived and suffered for Christ, and the Churches have maintained a close connection.
St. Gorazd was canonized by the Serbian Church in 1961 and by the Czech-Slovak Church in 1987. In June of last year, the Czech-Slovak Church celebrated the canonization of New Martyr Fr. Stanislav Nasadil with the participation of hierarchs from the Serbian and Polish Churches. He was previously canonized by the Serbian Church in 1961.
His Beatitude Metropolitan Rastislav of the Czech Lands and Slovakia concelebrated in the consecration of Bishop Isihije in June 2018.
