Baroque St. Wenceslas Home restored for senior priests

After a year and a half of extensive reconstruction, the main residential part of St. Wenceslaus Home in Stará Boleslav has been successfully approved for occupancy.

The construction modifications to the baroque monument – a former provostry – required precision, patience, and close cooperation with heritage conservators. The biggest challenge was the unpredictable condition of the historic structures, which often only became apparent when uncovered. Among the most difficult technical interventions were the stabilization of the masonry, restoration of the roof truss, and securing the building’s structural stability. During construction, remnants of a localized fire were discovered, which had compromised the structural integrity of large load-bearing beams on the building’s top floor.

Despite all the problems, the contractors managed to stick to the schedule so that the building received occupancy approval in mid-December last year. „It is an honor for us to participate in a project that will serve seniors, especially priests and servants of the Church. It has a deeper meaning for us,“ says Jan Kapitán, representative of the construction company Unistav Construction. „What pleases us most is that we are managing to restore the historic building so that it regains its original beauty and can fulfill its mission even better.“

Six months to the finish line

What separates the Archdiocesan Caritas from the completed project and the moving in of seniors to the renovated Home is the completion of a new food service facility and administrative facilities. Construction work should be finished in June of this year. Until then, the seniors will remain for another six months in temporary accommodations in Prague’s Třeboradice and Dejvice neighborhoods.

„Even in provisional conditions, maintaining a high standard of care is our top priority,“ says Sylvie Smidová, head of St. Wenceslaus Home in Třeboradice. The Home provides both care and health services, as well as spiritual care.

Daily masses at St. Wenceslaus Home are provided by priests from across the Prague Archdiocese. The rotation of celebrants has an unexpected spiritual benefit. Each priest enriches the liturgy with his own style of proclaiming God’s word and brings inspiration for prayer intentions. Many remain after mass to share with the seniors about their current ministry and introduce them to the area of pastoral care for which they are responsible in the Church.

„We thank all priests for their kindness and openness. Your service to those who preceded you in the priesthood, as well as to other seniors at St. Wenceslaus Home, is irreplaceable. Daily Eucharist is the center of their lives,“ says Karolína Němcová, head of St. Wenceslaus Home in Dejvice.