Declared Venerable: 22-12-2020
On completing his Higher Secondary studies in Austrian Slesia, Ignatius Stuchly was on his way to Velehrad in Moravia to join the Society of Jesus. But in the train he met a well-known priest who spoke to him about Don Bosco and the Salesians.
Ignatius decided to go to Turin: at Valsalice he was accepted as a son of Mary. After his novitiate he did his philosophical studies at Ivrea. He also studied the science of agriculture and took a diploma in it. Then he made a request to be sent to the missions, but Fr Rua told him, "Your mission is in the North!" In 1921 Fr. Stuchly was sent to Ljublijana (Yugloslavia) to look after the construction of the shine of Mary Help of Christians. It was completed and blessed in 1924.
Then the superiors destined him for the house of Perosa Argentina (Italy), where for a few years, the Slovachian boys had been preparing themselves to establish the Salesian work in their own country. In 1927 he was sent to Czechoslovakia to open the first house, at Frystak and was its Rector from 1928 to 1934. From there he went as the Rector of the new house of Moravska Ostrava (1934-35).
In the meantime he was appointed Provincial of Czechoslovakia (1935-48). During his time in office, 12 Salesian houses were established with 270 religious, all Bohemians or Moravians, besides some 20 others who were working in the missions. This extraordinary development of Salesian work amply proved his spirit of hard work, simple piety and goodness to all.
In 1948 he returned to the house at Frystak as confessor. A disastrous persecution started in Czecholovakia and Fr. Stuchly had to witness the destruction of the Salesian work he had built up.
