Mr. Holý passed away on Friday's morning.
Funeral Mass is on the 18th of April at 02:30pm.
In 2009, he wrote about his life:
I was born on the 13-th of December in 1926 in Hradec Králové, in a family of the Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren.
I joined the Catholic Church later during Communism and I was re-baptized by Father Jiljí Dubský OP, at that time in the Saint Jiljí Church in Prague 1.
My father had a drapery store in the Prague suburbs of Hradec Králové. He was a Russian legionnaire and a Sokol movement member. He was executed during the imposition of martial law in 1942. It changed the life of our mother and us four children.
Our entire property was confiscated, also our store. It was returned to us after 1945 and then confiscated again by the Communists.
1942-1946 My father’s friends helped me to study at the Higher Engineering school in Hradec Králové, where I graduated.
1947 - I was accepted to Charles University in Prague, faculty of art education. After a year I switched to the College of Applied Arts in Prague.
1948-1953 I graduated from the College of Applied Arts and I married Vlasta Sybila Klumparová, my fellow college student in 1952. We lived from hand to mouth, which I did not realize until I ended up in Na Bulovce hospital and was treated there with cancer for a couple of months. The illness was very beneficial for me. I had my mother’s Bible there and I read it over and over.
1953- After graduating at the College of Applied Arts, I became a professional artist painter and member of Visual Artists group. I took part in many exhibitions. With my wife we made a lot of art works also including architecture. We worked for poor wages, and even though I won few competitions, the approval committees at that time, did not give my projects permission to be realized.
1964- My solo exhibition in Síň lidové demokracie in Prague.
1969- I was expelled from the Visual Artists Union and lost a membership of the Czech Fund of Arts after my critical stand against the Communist regime in the Congressional Palace in Prague.
I was constantly close to imprisonment. I was not allowed to have an exhibition of my work anymore. But we overcame everything together with my wife.
1992- I founded the LL – Likvidace Lepry o.s. after the Velvet Revolution. It was a clear choice. Many people joined and some of them took on all the responsibility and hard work.
I have been the Executive Chairman and statutory representative of the LL. My wife, also an academic painter, has been of a great help and support to me all 19 years. One man alone could not possibly endure all this. The hardship was that we could not paint. A painter is like a fish in water to his colors. A joy of it was that we could actually live in the Kingdom of God already here on Earth.
Briefly: There were nearly 750,000 people across Africa, Asia, Pacific and South America treated with the medicaments from LL Czech republic.
The total price of medication given by our donors to those in need in 19 years is cca 200 million, handed out to 60 missionary leposariums and hospital stations, to the hands of missionary sisters and brothers.
2006- I created the concept and organized the realization of the project of the 1-st Czech-Indian hospital complex of Saint Joseph‘s for those suffering from the leprosy and tuberculosis.
The complex serves as and consists of the hospital, school and home called „Bambino“ for the leprosy victim’s children, monastery for the Indian nuns, house for guests, farm and agricultural field which fed the whole complex in just two years.
In two years, there were 12,000 people treated including malaria patients.
Saint Joseph‘s complex belongs to Jamshedpur Bishopric, in the state of Jarkhand.
Treatment is for free for the poor and suffering in all LL facilities.
2008- Construction of the second largest Saint Joseph‘s hospital complex. The treatment started in Dispensary building on the 14-th of March 2008. It belongs to the Seva Kendra Calcutta, which is a Charity of Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Calcutta. The hospital’s opening ceremony was held on the 12-th of November 2011.
Me and my wife we have published educational materials „The Leprosy Mission“, postcards, books about the missionaries etc. Our reward is these many affectionate letters from our „uncles and aunts“, as we politely call our donors.
On the 18-th of May 2011, in the St.Ignace Church in Prague, there was an agreement signing ceremony held between me, the Chairman of LL and the Archbishop of Prague
Mons. Dominik Duka and LL has become the part of Prague Archbishopric.