Radio Prague July 6 reported Some 40,000 Czech Catholics attended a mass in Velehrad, southern Moravia, on Monday, to commemorate Saints Cyril and Methodius. July 5 is a national holiday in the Czech Republic to honor the legacy of the Greek missionarieswho brought Christianity to the Czech lands in the year 863. The open-air mass at Velehrad, once the seat of the Great Moravian Empire, was celebrated by the Archbishop of Prague, Dominik Duka. (ed. Many will remember Bishop Duka of Hradec Kralove visiting Houston for participation in University of St. Thomas Faith and Culture Conference along with Protestant and Jewish colleagues from Prague.) His masses at Velehrad have always attracted people longing for freedom. Saints Cyril and Methodius arrived in Moravia in 863 on a mission from the Byzantine Empire. To spread the Gospel among the Slavs, they created the Cyrillic alphabet and translated the Bible and liturgical books into Slavonic, which at that time had no written form. The two brothers are considered the founders of Slavic literature.

We are grateful for the rain we needed to catch up. We are even more grateful it finally stopped. We did find another CCMH need for one more expense in this Recession—additional gutters so we don’t suffer any more overflowing of those we have!! We are especially grateful Hurricane Alex did not make landfall here.  We still have vivid and visual memories of Hurricane Ike! We truly take notice of every rain that comes.

The Czech Republic offers in Domazlice Summer Music Master Course for Violin, Piano, Bassoon commencing July 19-27, 2010 with several openings available. Our member Ivan from London visited yesterday (7/9/2010) advising us of these possibilities for fortunate musicians who would have registration and the week’s accommodations gifted them. For information www.hudebnikurzy.cz. If not this year, perhaps next. Vaclav Vonasek, member of the Prague Symphony, bassoonist honored the CCMH with a concert in Brno Gallery having been invited to University of Texas Austin that year. Wish I knew more about music than just listening enjoyment.

We hope you will join us in Brno Gallery Thursday (next week) 15th of July, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. for Conversation and Networking. Admission is $10.00 members, $12.00 nonmembers for drinks and hors d’oeuvres. Please RSVP to events@czechcenter.org

The August 28, 2010 Benefit Gala honors Honorary Czech Consul General of Texas Raymond J. Snokhous and wife Clarice Marik Snokhous for their years of service. Please hold that date. Invitations are forthcoming. The Host Committee of Volunteers and Board of Directors will be especially grateful for your, your family and guests’ attendance and participation in this unkind to nonprofits (and others) Recession time. We welcome any and all donations of Auction items and financial contributions. It needs to be our best one yet, evening of good food, drink, fun and Auction in Brno Gallery and Prague Hall.

A beautiful young photo journalist visiting from Russia (Siberia) yesterday was unbelieving of our “incredible heat” outside. I told her on the other hand we didn’t have near the feet of snow and ice they had routinely their winters. I guess it’s all about how you “feel” about it.