The Way of the Cross of Fr. Václav Drboly
The project for a Way of the Cross, to be installed near a historic stone wayside shrine from the 15th century, was born shortly after the new U Obrázku lookout tower was built in 2020. The tower’s structure, visible from a wide surrounding area, was designed so that its silhouette would recall the Church of St. Catherine in Starovičky. The Way of the Cross was then meant to naturally connect the two structures – the wayside shrine and the “church” on the hill above it – and give the site a new spiritual dimension. This vision was supported by the ongoing joint beatification process of Fr. Václav Drboly and Fr. Jan Bula. It took on a more concrete form through cross-border cooperation with the municipality of Dubovce (Slovakia), where the beatification process of local native Janko Havlík was also underway.
The project called “The Path for the Nation’s Memory” unfortunately never came to fruition. At the end of 2024, as the beatification process of both priests neared completion, the municipal council decided to carry out the project under the name “The Way of the Cross of Fr. Václav Drboly.” Its realization is a tribute to the village of Starovičky’s distinguished native son, and it also raises awareness of the extraordinary conclusion of the beatification process and the official decision to beatify the martyrs Václav Drboly and Jan Bula, confirmed by the signature of Pope Leo XIV on October 24, 2025.
The Way of the Cross itself consists of 14 stations in the form of crosses made from steel beams, crafted by artistic blacksmith František Pechor of Starovice. The crosses are anchored in concrete footings edged with granite curbs, and the entire route is grounded as a protection against lightning. The construction work was carried out by the firm David Poláček – Provádění staveb Starovičky. The crosses are galvanized and finished with a black coating, and each incorporates a glass prism with a spatial design created inside using modern 3D lasers. The prisms were made by Glasstech s.r.o., Železný Brod. Following consultation with the Diocese of Brno, the chosen motifs were cropped photographs of the sculptural sets from the Way of the Cross in Bohutice. The project also includes the installation of small street furniture and additional greenery – both trees and shrubs – at the site. The project was financially supported by the South Moravian Region.
