Most important things: don’t be scared, don’t lie, don’t steal
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Jan Palacký was born on 21 December 1937. In 1956, he secretly joined the Jesuit Order and then tried to emigrate. He was caught at the border and sentenced to five months in prison. In 1959, he was sentenced again - this time for being a member of the Society of Jesus which was illegal under communism. He received four years in prison for subversion. He was released on amnesty in 1960. He secretly finished his novitiate, worked in various blue-collar jobs and at the same time went to study philosophy to the Polish Jesuits. In 1968, he made use of the political thaw, got a passport and went to a tour to Vienna. He never returned home. He left Austria for Italy where he finished his studies and in 1971, was consecrated to become a priest. He served as a chaplain in a military hospital. Based on his experience working with sick people, he decided to study a medical school. His superiors were disapproving because at that time, the opinion was that a priest should not be a medical doctor. In the 1980s, he treated people suffering from leprosy in Madagascar, Spain and Bolivia. He also still served as a priest. For a short time, he worked as a practicioner in Albania. In 2010, he returned to the Czech Republic.
