Prachatice, Neumanneum - Gallery of Mother Vojtěcha Hasmandová Back

Cloister Church

Information

The gallery is located on the ground floor of the monastery building. Mother Vojtěcha Hasmandová is also directly connected to this house: from 1950 to 1952, she was a superior of the house. Her bravery and decisive attitude of faith was a thorn in the side of the Communist state apparatus which sought to weaken Mother Vojtěcha’s influence on the entrusted sisters and believers in her surrounding. The Communists started tracking both her and the people she met. At that time, Sister Vojtěcha decided to take a courageous act - she provided shelter and refuge to a certain Franciscan priest who had by chance escaped a mass arrest of his confreres in Prague. She was however betrayed and reported, transported from the house for severe interrogations, and then sentenced to 8 years in prison in a fabricated trial. Shortly after her return, she became the general superior of the Sisters of Mercy of St. Borromeo. She stayed in this position until her death in 1988. Her wise leadership prepared the Congregation for an internal rebirth and renewal in the spirit of the Second Vatican Council, and the sisters live and draw from her legacy to this day. As one of the founding members of the Borromeo Federation, she was a person uniting the international branches of the Congregation of the Sisters of Mercy of St. Charles Borromeo. The federation uniting 7 generalates within Europe has been active since its inception in 1970.

The beatification and canonization process of Mother Vojtěcha began nine years after her death. On 6th December, Pope Francis awarded her the title of "Venerable Servant of God".

Her qualities - honesty, modesty, bravery and forgiveness to those who have hurt her, are values that need to be remembered even today. Her inner zeal can refresh many tired people, her ability to name things correctly makes them simpler and lighter, her faithful love for God is a reflection and inspiration for each of us.

Travelling exhibition called “Mother Vojtěcha - the Servant of God, a brave witness of the faith” was organized at the occasion of a 25-year anniversary of her death. The exhibition has been formed in three identical versions and it maps the entire life of Mother Vojtěcha. Since 2013, it has visited more than 90 places in the Czech Republic and abroad.

Open

May - September
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday 9.30 - 12.30, 13.30 - 15.30
Thursday 12.00 - 17.00
Saturday, Sunday - closed

October - April
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 9.30 - 12.30, 13.30 - 15.30
Outside opening hours, it is possible to arrange a visit on tel .: + 420 723 842 422