St John Nepomucene

St John Nepomucene (1340/50–1393) is perhaps the most famous Czech saint. John of Nepomuk was Vicar-General of the Archdiocese of Prague, but fell out of favour with King Wenceslaus IV of Bohemia, and by his order was imprisoned and tortured to death, and his body was thrown into the River Vltava in Prague. The veneration of St John Nepomucene in Prague and Bohemia caught on straight after his martyrdom, and in the 17th century his cult was especially encouraged by the Jesuits. But he later enjoyed special veneration in Europe after his beatification in 1721 and canonisation in 1729. Because of the circumstances of his martyrdom, St John Nepomucene became a protector from floods and drowning.

Text author Dalia Vasiliūnienė

St John Nepomucene (1340/50–1393) is perhaps the most famous Czech saint. John of Nepomuk was Vicar-General of the Archdiocese of Prague, but fell out of favour with King Wenceslaus IV of Bohemia, and by his order was imprisoned and tortured to death, and his body was thrown into the River Vltava in Prague. The veneration of St John Nepomucene in Prague and Bohemia caught on straight after his martyrdom, and in the 17th century his cult was especially encouraged by the Jesuits. But he later enjoyed special veneration in Europe after his beatification in 1721 and canonisation in 1729. Because of the circumstances of his martyrdom, St John Nepomucene became a protector from floods and drowning.

Text author Dalia Vasiliūnienė