Litomysl to mark 50th annual summer festival July 31

Holy Trinity Catholic Church of Litomysl will be showing off its country church pride at the 50th annual Summer Festival on Sunday, July 31. 

The 166 families of the parish will host the event, which is one of the largest summer parish festivals held in Minnesota each year. The country style festival draws people from all over the region. 

Holy Trinity Church dates back to 1878, when settlers in the Litomysl community built their first church. The community is actually named after the original Litomysl, located about 100 miles east of Prague. In 1940-41, they built the stone church that parishioners worship in today. It is one of the largest stone churches in the nation; members of the parish brought over 600 loads of rock from their fields to build it. 

Czech traditions, from delightful pastries to polka music will be alive and well once again in Litomysl on July 31. Where can you combine Mass, music, games, silent auction, eats and treats, a used-a-bit sale, face painting, live pony rides, raffles, pull tabs, and wagon rides?  You may not be able to find Litomysl on a map, but miles and miles of motor vehicles will line County Road 4 and 24th Avenue S.E. in rural Owatonna for the festival. 

At 10 a.m. in the air-conditioned, handicapped accessible church, there is the traditional Polka Mass that has participants sing traditional hymns to the beat of polka music, led by the Litomyslaneous Polka Group. Also participating in the morning Mass will be the Owatonna Knights of Columbus #945’s Fourth Degree in full regalia.  

Music will echo throughout the grounds. Before the Mass the Owatonna Knights of Columbus Choir will perform in the church. The “Dan Stursa Band” will entertain the crowd when they grace the stage north of the church. The Klecker Band, which has played at all of the past 49 festivals, will delight listeners outside at 3 p.m.