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Election to the local church council: strengthening the witness of faith in the diaspora!
On Diaspora Sunday on November 17, 2024, attention was drawn to the situation of Catholic minorities, while the election for the local church council took place in the Dresden-Meißen diocese.
Election to the local church council: strengthening the witness of faith in the diaspora!
November 17th was an important day for Catholic Christians in Germany! The Diaspora Sunday of the Bonifatiuswerk took place under the motto “Tell what you trust”. This day focuses on the challenges and situation of the Catholic minority. With donations and collections collected in the evening masses and on Sundays, the Bonifatiuswerk supports important projects in Germany, Northern Europe and the Baltics. An outstanding example this year is the Mother Teresa Caritas Hospice in Heilbad Heiligenstadt, where up to 13 people can live in dignity and self-determination until the end of their lives.
Diaspora Sunday was celebrated in communities in creative ways to raise awareness of the diaspora situation. In the diocese of Dresden-Meißen, this day coincided with the election for the local church council, particularly in the parish of St. Paulus in Döbeln. Pastor Steffen Börner, chairman of the diocesan Bonifatiuswerk, linked the two events in his sermon and emphasized the importance of volunteer work in the diaspora. “The willingness to serve in the local church council is a valuable building block for the witness of faith in a strong diaspora situation,” he explained. The pilgrim's staff was presented symbolically for the departure into the present, which establishes the connection to the Scandinavian and Baltic supporting countries.
Festivities in Erfurt
Already on Friday, November 15th, attention was drawn to the diaspora situation in Erfurt. The Catholic Theological Faculty celebrated its patron festival Albertus Magnus with a festival service and a festival academy. The bishops of the five East German dioceses, who are also the sponsoring bishops of the regional seminary in Erfurt, came to this occasion. An exhibition to mark the 175th anniversary of the Bonifatiuswerk was also held in St. Mary's Cathedral, which underlines the importance of this institution.