Winter in Petajavesi and Greenhill

Míša Mužátková

Pilgrimage on the occasion of feast of St. John Nepomuk

On 12th and 13th May pilgrimage masses took place in the Church of St. John Nepomuk on the Green Hill. It’s celebrated every year at the weekend before or after the celebrations of St. Jan Nepomuk.

Why is the festival of Jan Nepomuk celebrated in Žďár nad Sázavou, when he lived and worked in Prague?

Jan Nepomuk belonged to the religious order which founded the monastery in Žďár nad Sázavou. Jan Nepomuk was worshiped by this religious order and therefore abbot Vejmluva asked Santini to build a church on the Green Hill to honour  St. Jan Nepomuk.

Since that time, pilgrimage masses have been celebrated in this church.( it happened at the beginning of 18th century)

How was it going this year 2012?

Since Friday 11th people were visiting this place to admire  stunning architecture. The first mass was on Saturday at 5 o’clock. On Sunday five masses were celebrated . Even though there were so many masses, every time  the church was absolutely full of people.

I asked the visitors about our questionnaire and they answered me:

„It was absolutely beautiful! I go there every year and I love it. This church has amazing atmosphere.“( said a woman from Radňovice, a nearby village)

„We are here for the first time and it’s very nice. I was surprised by the architecture. It’s wonderful.“ ( said a man from Liberec.)

„I have seen lots of churches and I go to the mass on the Green Hill every Sunday, but this mass in this church was the best I have ever visited.“ (said a man from Žďár nad Sázavou.)

„I‘ve never seen so many people in this church!“ (said a woman from Žďár nad Sázavou.)

                                                                Míša Mužátková

More Qustionnaires

Here is some more qustionnaires, about the Old Church of Petäjävesi:

1) What is your reason to visit this place?
-Worship
-Nice spring events
-motorist
-veteran's meeting
-Curiosity
-Valuable
-Club
-Holy Church
-To see the Church
-confirmation class label

2) Why do people usually visit this place?
- Great place
-Oldish
-UNESCO
-Summer's weddings
-Famous
-Holy church
-Historic place

3) What is your religion?
-The Evangelical Lutheran
-Lutheran

4) Do you go to the Old Church often or first time?
-First time, said 6 people
-Often, said 5 people

5) What is the most attractive point here for you?
-Old Buildings
-Religion
-Motorists
-Haven't been there yet
-environment
-Cold church
-History
-Nice Paintings
-Graveyard

6) Do you know who and why desinged and built this chucrh?
-Yes, said 1 people
-No, said 12 people

7) Do you know anything about this church?
-It's dark off outside
-nothing
-Sometimes summer events
-Old
-Listed building
-UNESCO
-Lot's of

8) Do you know other sites of UNESCO in Finland?
-No
-Old Rauma
-Suomenlinna
-Can't remember

9) Witch sites of UNESCO in have you visited?
-Can't remember
-Don't know
-Keuruu's church
-Nothing
-Somwhere in Istanbul

10) What kind of social programme would you recommend to be organised here?
-Nothing
-Conserts
-Special programs
-Everything
-Funerals
-Weddings
-sensible
-Can't say


Veikka, 31.5.2012

The concert to honour St. John Nepomuk

 It was held on the 13 May 2012 at the Church of St. John Nepomuk on the Green Hill and we could visit it. There were two famous Czech musicians Jitka Baštová, who played the accordion, and Jindřich Macek, who played the flute.

At the beginning we made questionnaires with the visitors. There were about a hundred people and we asked some of them. They told us that they came from Brno, Ústí nad Labem or Havlíčkův Brod especially because of the traditional fair. They were Catholics, they knew a little about the Church and other sites of UNESCO in the Czech Republic and they recommended to use this site for masses and special religious services. One visitor suggested to organize exhibitions there. Filip took the pictures and after our work we could sit and listen to the beautiful baroque music which was connected with the time of Jan Blažej Santini Aichl, the architect of the Church.

Jitka Stráská, Alena Hanzlová, Natálie Zelinková a Filip Vaníček

EU Projekt Comenius

EU Projekt  Partnerství škol Comenius

Na počátku školního roku 2011 – 2012 byl Národní agenturou pro evropské vzdělávací programy schválen bilaterální projekt Biskupského gymnázia ve Žďáru nad Sázavou v České republice a Kuokkalan koulu v Jyvaskyla ve Finsku.

Cílem projektu je vytvoření „Wirkko magazine“, jehož obsahem bude postavení a význam památek UNESCO v jednotlivých zemích ve 21. století – poutní kostel sv. Jana Nepomuckého na Zelené hoře ve Žďáru nad Sázavou a kostelík v Petajavasi u finského Jyvaskyla. Studenti obou škol budou svůj časopis tvořit s použitím ICT v anglickém jazyce po dobu dvou let. Na projektu participují studenti ve věku 14-17 let. Nedílnou součástí projektu je i výměnná stáž studentů obou škol v obou zemích a kurz českého a finského jazyka v anglickém jazyce.

PhDr. Jitka Stráská, koordinátor projektu

EU Project Partnership of Schools Comenius

At the beginning of the school year 2011 – 2012 the National Agency for European Educational Programmes approved a bilateral project of the Bishop Grammar school in Žďár nad Sázavou in the Czech Republic and Kuokkalan koulu in Jyvaskyla in Finland. 

The main goal of the project is to create ´Wirkko magazine´ which will deal with the position and importance of two UNESCO sites in the 21st century – the Pilgrimage Church of St. John of Nepomuk at Zelená hora and the Old Church in Petajavasi near the  Finnish city of  Jyvaskyla. The students of both schools will be creating the magazine on computers in English language for two years. The inseparable part of the project is an exchange stay of the students in their countries and courses of Czech and Finnish languages in English language.

PhDr. Jitka Stráská, coordinator of the project

Czech express

Dobrý den! Ahoj! Cau! Hello! Hi! Hyvää päivää! Moi! =)

In 13 practically oriented lessons Finnish students got  some answers and introductions about Czech language, culture and life in Czech republic. Finnish students learned to understand and react in basic communicative situations (e.g. the topics of Getting to know each other, Directions, Shopping, Restaurant).

We had fun and it was nice way to learn something about language and culture. The movie Snowboardáci was very funny movie and students liked it a lot.

FAQs about Czech!

1. Is Czech related to English? (compare: mother - matka, brother - bratr, sister - sestra, three - tri ).

2. Do all Czech words consist of horrifying clusters of consonants? Strc prst skrz krk (stick your finger through your throat).

Introduction