St. Agnes of Bohemia, the youngest daughter of the king Ottokar I, chose a life of poverty and dedication to the needs of others. She founded the Hospital na Františku and was instrumental in the birth of the only Czech religious order The Knights of the Cross with the Red Star. It was at their Church of St. Francis of Assisi that the liturgical year dedicated to St. Agnes of Bohemia was launched on the date when Agnes died, 2nd March.

Symbol of the fight against totalitarianism

St. Agnes of Bohemia’s canonization had been suggested several times, last time by Czech Cardinal Tomášek in the middle of the 80s. In the end, Pope John Paul II put her canonization through, reasoning that Agnes can support Czechs in their fight for freedom. In November 1989, shortly before the 17th November Velvet Revolution, she was finally canonized in Rome, where about 10 thousand Czechoslovakian pilgrims were congregated.    

Relics not Found

St Agnes of Bohemia wasn’t beatified until 1874, which is surprising because the members of The Knights of the Cross with the Red Star respected St Agnes to the same extent throughout their history e.g.  John of Nepomuk. The slow process was caused by the fact that the relics of St Agnes of Bohemia got lost in the course of the Hussite Wars. In vain archaeologists have been trying to find them in St Hastal Church, Panensky Týnec, or in St Cross Rotund in Old Town. Legend would have us believe that the discovery of the relics will bestow great prosperity to Bohemia.

Year of Saint Agnes of Bohemia

For the duration of one year, we will be commemorating 800 years since the death of St Agnes . The celebration of this significant Czech patroness will be culminated by the scientific conference dedicated to St Agnes and other significant women of her time and by the exhibition Saint Agnes of Bohemia held by the National Gallery in St Agnes Monastery. A detailed list of the events can be found at the Charles Bridge Museum website.