Carol singers bring blessings to the district hall 15 committed children and young people from the Gummersbach parish community of St. Franziskus delivered blessings and collected donations

At the invitation of District Administrator Klaus Grootens, the carol singers from the Gummersbach parish community of St. Franziskus visited the district hall again this year: "We are very pleased and thank you for conveying blessings to everyone who works in the district administration offices and to the citizens who come to the district hall. I think it's great that you connect this with a special message: You are collecting for children who cannot easily attend school worldwide. You care about them by speaking to people and asking for donations for these children!"

Blessings for visitors and employees of the district administration

Dressed as "Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar" and accompanied by the star bearers, the carol singers performed their most famous song in the foyer - audible to all employees: "We come from the Orient..." Above the main entrance and the door of the district administrator's office, they affixed a banner with the blessing inscription for 2026 and handed over additional blessing banners to the General Representative, Stefan Heße, and the district administrators for their offices. They then exchanged experiences as carol singers and discussed this year's carol singing campaign with the district administrator and district administrators.

In conversations with the companions, it became clear that it is increasingly difficult to recruit children, teenagers, and their parents for Sternsingen. "But it's so much fun to collect so much money for needy children," says seven-year-old Henry from the St. Franziskus parish.

Chaplain Thomas Backsmann is glad that nevertheless, about 40 children and teenagers are traveling as Sternsingers in Gummersbach alone to deliver blessings. He points out that citizens who do not receive a visit from Sternsingers can also pick up a blessing band for their doors in church and parish offices.
The Sternsingers will be traveling door to door throughout the Oberbergische district until Saturday. With a donation in every tin and well-fortified with juice and donuts, District Administrator Klaus Grootens sent the "kings" back on their way and wished them much success.

Information: Setting a sign with Sternsinging

The Dreikönigssingen 2026 campaign highlights: Children have a right to education, protection, and healthy development and must not be exploited as labor forces. This right is still being violated: worldwide, around 160 million children work, half of them under particularly dangerous conditions. The Dreikönigssingen 2026 campaign calls on children and adults in Germany to stand together against child labor – through education, conscious consumer behavior, and their commitment during Sternsingen. Each year, a theme and example projects are at the heart of the Dreikönigssingen campaign. The donations from the Sternsingers support projects for children in around a hundred countries worldwide. Further information can be found on the homepage of the children's mission organization "Die Sternsinger": www.bdkj.de/sternsingen (Source: Federation of German Catholic Youth).