St. Wenceslaus (c. 907-935), Duke of Bohemia, is the patron of the Czech nation. Grandson of St. Ludmila, he ruled from Prague, strengthening Bohemian Christianity and founding the rotunda to St. Vitus at Prague Castle — the foundation of today's St. Vitus Cathedral. On September 28, 935, he was assassinated at Stará Boleslav by his brother Boleslav. His relics are enshrined in the St. Wenceslaus Chapel of St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague; Kraków's Wawel Cathedral is co-dedicated to him alongside St. Stanislaus. September 28 is Czech Statehood Day. Subject of the carol "Good King Wenceslas."
Pilgrimage Sites Dedicated to St. Wenceslaus
Prague
Czechia · Europe
Bohemia's thousand-year capital where the Infant Jesus draws pilgrims from across the globe, St. John of Nepomuk was martyred on Charles Bridge, and the coronation cathedral of St. Vitus still guards the relics of patron saints.
Kraków
Poland · Europe
Kraków is a profound Catholic pilgrimage destination, home to the Divine Mercy Sanctuary where St. Faustina's tomb resides and beloved by Pope John Paul II.