“We are celebrating the feast of St. Stephen today,” said Chaplain Thomas Backsmann, welcoming the faithful on Boxing Day in the Gummersbach Church of St. Francis and adding: “He was the first martyr and his memory is longer than Christmas.” Backsmann explained the little one and slightly larger carol singers in the front pews, that Stephen had died for his faith.
“Even today, many people are persecuted and killed because of this – but others, especially children, suffer from hunger and poverty.” In Indonesia, for example, there are children who live and play on train tracks because they have no home. Girls are often married at the age of 13 so that the family can feed the other children with the money they get for it. That is why this year the focus of the carol singer campaigns is on Indonesia: the Alit Foundation is helping children there who are at risk for various reasons or who have experienced violence as victims.
Right to care, health, education and security
The chaplain once again addressed the children directly: “You bring God’s blessing to the people and in return you receive money that can be used to help these children – there are things in this world where prayer alone is not enough.” Together with the He placed yellow stars in front of the altar of carol singers, on which the rights of children were noted – such as the right to care, health, education and social security or protection from war and violence.
Then everyone prayed the Lord’s Prayer in front of the altar. Andrea Kuhl, Kerstin Köhler and Elisabeth Sologuren-Sanchez look after the around 40 carol singers who, from Monday to mid-January, go on almost 30 tours through Gummersbach with stars and crowns, excluding the districts on the Agger – from the Herz-Jesu-Gemeinde in Dieringhausen were sent their own carol singers.
Before Father Thomas Arakkaparambil in the parish of St. Bonifatius in Bielstein sent the carol singers on their journey on the second holiday, a few intercessions were said there.
Copyright: Michael Kupper
On January 6th they are in the city center visiting authorities and institutions. Kuhl described that people who are not found get the blessing in the mailbox. He can also be picked up at a prayer service in the church or in the parish office. She is happy that the carol singer campaign is running as it used to for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic – in 2020 there were no visits at all, last year there were many test runs and singing was not allowed. Just as parish vicar Klaus-Peter Jansen sent the carol singers on their journey in the Heilig-Geist-Kirche in Nümbrecht, Father Thomas Arakkaparambil did the same at St. Bonifatius in Wiehl-Bielstein.
Oberberger carol singers collect for India
In a solemn service, set to music by Casey Reeve on trumpet and flugelhorn and Brigitte Anders on organ, he said, “Carol singers bring a message of hope and support to their peers who are less fortunate.” Susanne Bourbones, who mit Lara Dragon and Hildegard Gammersbach looked after around 32 carol singers from Bielstein and was happy that Wiehl and Bielstein were sent out together again after eight years in St. Bonifatius. The action days when the children parade through the streets are on January 6th and 7th. In these villages, collections are made specifically for the Aanchal project in Bhopal, India. Adopted from the Corona period, local shops are again offering cans with a “blessing to go”.