Memorial Day schedule of events

Memorial Day begins with the New Prague Veterans Honor Guard visiting area cemeteries to honor area veterans buried there. At each cemetery, the honor guard will read the names of veterans buried at the cemeteries followed by a 21- gun salute and the playing of Taps.

The schedule for cemetery visits are:

9 a.m. at St. Patrick

9:25 a.m. St. Benedict (change from last year)

9:55 a.m. Lanesburgh

10:15 a.m. Union Hill

10:30 a.m. Czech National

10:45 a.m. St. Wenceslaus

St. Thomas will also have a Mass, Monday, May 29 at 9 a.m. with blessings of the graves after service. 

A parade is scheduled following the cemetery visits. Parade participants will meet in New Prague City Hall’s parking lot. The parade is scheduled to start between 11:30 - 11:45 a.m. and will head south on NE Central Avenue, turn east onto Main Street and end at the veterans memorial, next to the New Prague Memorial Library.

The program at the veterans memorial will include the New Prague High School band playing the national anthem. There will be an invocation by New Prague American Legion Post 45 Chaplain George Tupy, a welcoming from Mayor Duane Jirik and main speaker Col. Sharkey, who is a member of New Prague American Legion Post No. 45.

Closing the program will be a reading of a list of deceased veterans buried in the area and overseas by Tupy and the VFW’s Nick Slavik. The Veterans Honor Guard and Rifle Unit will do a volley and there will be the playing of Taps.