GRAND OPENING OF THE MINORITE MONASTERY IN PRAGUE

Minorite Friary of St. James, Malá Štupartská 6, Prague, Czech Republic, September 30, 2024.

At the turn of September and October, the MINORITE MONASTERY OF ST. JAMES entered a new phase in its history, which will be linked to education, culture, and support for Czech entrepreneurship. The grand opening of the premises, imbued with a unique genius loci, took place on September 28 in the presence of distinguished guests.

The Helas business platform was invited to manage and implement the renovation of the unique premises of the MINORITE MONASTERY OF ST. JAMES, which will serve as a center for culture, social events, and business. As part of the GREAT FRANCISCAN JUBILEE, which took place on the occasion of the 800th anniversary of the stigmatization of St. Francis of Assisi and also the 750th anniversary of the death of St. Bonaventure of Bagnoregio, a Minorite, bishop, the greatest Franciscan philosopher, theologian, and mystic, together with the 50th anniversary of the elevation of the Church of St. James to BASILICA MINOR, an informal meeting with experts and historians was held on September 19, along with a Holy Mass and an organ concert.

This extraordinary event was followed on September 28 by the GRAND OPENING OF THE MINORITE MONASTERY OF ST. JAMES, organized by the Helas Business Platform. As part of this celebration, guests had the opportunity to view the Gothic cloister with its paradise garden, the Hall of John of Luxembourg, the salons of Eliška Přemyslovna, the Hortus Angelicus garden, the Coronation Hall with the Royal Salon, and the Romanesque cellars, which were illuminated by the Lumia Frequency Art light exhibition.

"The long-term goal of our Helas Business Platform is the motto WE ARE BUILDING A PROUD CZECH REPUBLIC. I am sincerely excited that we have the opportunity to combine the legacy of our ancestors and ancient history with ideas that help the current generation of hard-working and creative people grow and still have an impact on the future. What we are doing now for the development of business, education, and culture influences, shapes, and cultivates future generations in the best sense of the word. Thanks to the fact that it is possible to implement these ideas in unique spaces that symbolize the best we have in the Czech Republic, a history we can be proud of, we are bringing a new concept that connects generations as well as cultural and social strata," says Helena Kohoutová, founder of the Helas Business Platform.

During the gala evening, RESPECT, a.s., an insurance broker for entrepreneurs and companies, was introduced as the project ambassador. "It is a great honor for us that our company RESPECT, a.s. has become the proud ambassador of the historically significant Minorite Monastery complex in Prague. As an insurance broker for entrepreneurs and companies, we do not focus solely on business insurance, even though it has been our daily bread for 30 years.  We also strive to support Czech projects that extend into the areas of culture and history. We are a Czech family business, which is why we care about the future of the Czech Republic. We believe it is important to think long-term and support projects that will have a positive impact on future generations. Our goal is to build a proud Czech Republic, and I am truly honored that we can be part of this effort together with the HELAS business platform and support the reopening of the Minorite Friary in Prague as an educational, business, and social venue," said Zdeněk Reibl, founder of RESPECT, a.s. and philanthropist.

The rector of St. James' Basilica and guardian of the monastery, Father Stanislav Jaromi OFMConv, then highlighted the new role of the space as a representative of the MINORITE MONASTERY IN PRAGUE: "I am glad that the unique premises of the monastery are opening up to more people, and I think that the opportunity to encounter the extraordinary history, spiritual significance, and culture of this place is particularly important today."

The program also included a spectacular fashion show, ART FASHION SHOW/ MEZZOFORTE 2025, by Jitka Klett. During the evening, there was also a tasting of selected wines from the Malaník – Osička family winery in Mikulčice, and the Roman cellars were illuminated by an exhibition of luminescent paintings entitled Lumia Frequency Art. In the gardens under the cross vaults, guests had the opportunity to admire original sculptures by Vojtěch Šandera. Both exhibitions will be open to the public as part of regular tours until the end of this year. Selected areas of the monastery – large representative halls and lounges – can be rented for social and cultural events through the Helas Business Platform.

Acknowledgements

We greatly appreciate the support of the companies that contributed to the restoration and reconstruction of the premises. We would like to thank the project ambassador, RESPECT, a.s., an insurance broker for entrepreneurs and companies, as well as all our partners. Namely: Jan Zítek from ALUKOV a.s., Cyril Svozil from the FENIX group, Věra Komárová from Leonardo da Vinci Academy s.r.o., Jiří Soukup Jr. from KERAMIKA SOUKUP a.s., Pavlína Janů from Barvy laky Janů s.r.o., Vojtěch Dorňák from Kloboucká lesní s.r.o., Michaela Peštová and Jana Jiráčková from IF FACILITY a.s., Jan Stahl from Stahl – stěhovací služba, spol. s r.o. We would also like to thank our donors: Jiří Dvořák from AIR POWER s.r.o. and Pavlína Zálešáková.

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