175 years Bonifatiuswerk: Faith strengthening in a secular world!

175 years Bonifatiuswerk: Faith strengthening in a secular world!

The Bonifatiuswerk, which is based in Paderborn, celebrates its 175th anniversary and has developed into a load-bearing pillar for Catholics in Germany and for many in the diaspora over the years. Originally founded in 1849 as a "Bonifatius Association", the goal of the organization was to help Catholic immigrants from Silesia, which were drawn in Protestant areas. Today the focus has shifted to strengthening Catholic life in Germany, where church affiliation continues to decrease.

An important statement by Secretary General Georg Austen reflects the current reality: "The diaspora begins on the doorstep." This means that many people in traditional Catholic areas are increasingly alienating from the church. The challenge is to revive faith in modern society and to give the believers the feeling of not being alone. "Nobody should believe alone"-this guiding principle is central to the work of the Bonifatiuswerk and finds an expression in the so-called bonus buses, which network and promote congregations for church events.

diverse support offers

The Bonifatiuswerk is also actively involved in religious education. It has been organizing religious children's weeks since 1969 and has launched the "Santa Claus -Free Zone" initiative, which celebrates Christian values. Since 2013, the plant has also been supporting missionary projects throughout Germany and recently introduced a digital app to convey the content of beliefs in a contemporary way.

In total, the Bonifatiuswerk promoted over 1,000 projects with a budget of 9.6 million euros in 2023 alone. These projects aim to build churches, monasteries and social institutions in Germany, Scandinavia and the Baltic States. This also includes free time for children and adolescents.

Every year on the third Sunday in November, donations will be called in the Catholic Church, and next year the diaspora campaign will be carried out under the motto "Tell what you trust". General Secretary Austen was concerned about the current challenges that the Catholic Church experienced in transition. The aging of the donors is an urgent problem, but it remains optimistic: "We want to build on a church of the future, convey the joy of faith and offer orientation." These ambitions and last year's financial aid show that the Bonifatiuswerk would like to prove its value for the Catholic community in the future.

The organization, which has survived many social and political upheavals over the years, continues to offer an important platform for faith and religious support in an increasingly secularized world. Details on the activities and future plans of the Bonifatiuswerk are in a report www.katholisch.de to read.