Texan Receives Czech Award

La Grange - Sunday, September 25, 2011 was a very special day in the life of Raymond Snokhous, Honorary Consul General of the Czech Republic for the State of Texas.

The day started by participating in a Solemn Mass celebrating the 170th birthday of composer Antonin Dvorak and the 200th anniversary of the year of Saint John Nepomucene Neumann’s birth. Czech Archbishop Dominik Duka of Prague, Czech Republic, celebrated the Mass in the lower level crypt Church of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C.

Following the Mass, a reception was held on the premises of the Embassy of the Czech Republic where Archbishop Duka bestowed the commemorative Medal of Saint Agnes of Bohemia to three recipients, namely Raymond Snokhous, Jan Tomecek and Murry Sidlin.

The Medal of Saint Agnes of Bohemia is a special award of the Czech Archdiocese, first presented in March 2011 on the occasion of the 800th anniversary of the birth of Saint Agnes. The year of Saint Agnes of Bohemia was opened by Archbishop Duka in Prague on March 2, being accompanied by various academic conferences, concerts, competitions and other celebrations.

The medal of Saint Agnes of Bohemia was bestowed upon Raymond Snokhous for his ardent involvement promoting Czech heritage and culture in the United States and monetary support of the renovation of several village churches in the Czech Republic. Mr. Snokhous remains staunchly dedicated to the promotion of Czech culture and heritage and deepening the friendship between the Czech Republic and the United States, bearing diplomatic values of Saint Agnes of Bohemia.

The medal of Saint Agnes of Bohemia was bestowed upon John Tomecek for his active role in fostering the growth of the Czech community and its culture and heritage in the state of New York, namely through his devotion to Christian ideals and values.

The Medal of Saint Agnes of Bohemia was bestowed upon Murray Sidlin for preserving the memory of the innocent, healing the souls of the persecuted, and safeguarding human dignity and compassion for the next generations. Mr. Sidlin served eight years as Dean of the School of Music of The Catholic University of American in Washington, D.C. He has conducted many additional concerts in the Czech Republic and remains profoundly devoted to the conservation of spiritual and moral values, demonstrating the qualities of Saint Agnes of Bohemia.

Antonin Dvorak’s composition of the Mass in D Major was sung by the choir of the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. Ray and his wife Clarice were accompanied to Washington, D.C. by a delegation of family and friends from Texas and Louisiana.