He became involved in the underground church with his wife
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Miroslav Klípa was born on 26 July 1953 in Chodov, on the outskirts of Prague. He grew up in a Catholic-oriented family, attended church from childhood, and never became a member of Pioneer or the Socialist Youth Union. After graduating from university he worked as an engineer. During his secondary school studies, he devoted his free time to working as a sound engineer for the folk band Poutníci, where he met his future wife Eva. After their marriage in the 1970s, the couple made contact with other young people of faith. They met together for prayer, on the occasions of ordination and confirmation, and read liturgical texts together. Through the priest Pavel Hradilek and bishops Jan Konzal and Fridolín Zahradník, they became acquainted with the structures of the so-called underground church, which was created in case the communist regime banned the official church. Miroslav Klípa became involved in the activities of this secret organization with his wife. They used a photocopier to reproduce and then distribute liturgical texts, participated in the distribution of books published in exile, and also helped former nuns who met in their home. In addition, in the community of young Christian couples, they organized trips, meetings, cultural and educational events for children. Miroslav Klípa was secretly ordained a deacon in the first half of the 1980s and a priest in 1985. However, he did not engage in direct pastoral activity, as the leaders of the underground church placed him on reserve in case other priests were arrested. Following an anonymous denunciation, he was interrogated by State Security in the late 1980s, allegedly having a negative influence on the youth of Červený Újezd, where the Klípa family lived. After 1990, Miroslav Klípa revealed his identity as a priest and, together with his wife, continued to participate in the common experience of the Christian faith among friends and relatives. Since 2001, they have been running the Villa Vallila Community Centre in Červený Újezd, which serves people with disabilities.
