During these summer holidays, the Youth Monastery was once again a lively place. For four weeks, we offered a continuous programme of activities for children and young people, with a total of 120 participants taking part.
The summer began with our new democracy project, “WirbelStadt – Ideas in Motion!,” which we were able to launch for the first time thanks to strong financial support from the Landscape Association of Westphalia-Lippe (LWL). For three weeks, around 100 children and young people created and shaped their own city. They took responsibility, made democratic decisions, and developed ideas for their community. They elected a mayor and a city council, set up a complaints office, and founded shops, businesses, a church, a bank, and a newspaper. Sports activities were also offered. Of course, a volunteer project was a must. The municipal energy provider in Bottrop invited participants to spruce up a transformer station on our street.
What made “WirbelStadt” special was the combination of religious education and active youth participation in local politics. The project was supported by many young volunteer teamers as well as our pastoral team. Schools, associations, institutions, and local politicians also supported the project. Several local politicians visited WirbelStadt, spoke with the young people and listened to their ideas and concerns.
Our housekeeping team took care of the meals, supported by women who had previously come to Germany as refugees from Afghanistan. The lasting impact of “WirbelStadt” became clear soon after the summer holidays: during a meeting with the city’s social affairs officer, concrete steps were discussed to expand the concept to other parts of the city and potentially to the entire city.
The project was followed directly by a week-long camp on the grounds of the Youth Monastery. The week was accompanied by our pastoral team, all the young members of our religious community, and our international volunteers from Sumba (Indonesia), Colombia, and Paraguay.
The young people set up their own camp and organized everything themselves. Old camping stoves, large cooking pots, and washing-up bowls were brought out again. They cooked, washed up, and organized their daily life together. Each day began with a spiritual reflection, followed by activities such as nature expeditions. Another highlight was a special craft project: guided by a professional bow maker, the young people built large wooden bows, which they then used during a group event at the end of the week. The week concluded with an outdoor Mass in the forest, to which families and friends were also invited.
These four weeks highlighted what the Youth Monastery stands for: creating spaces where young people can experience community, take responsibility, discover their faith, and develop their talents. This mission was also recognized in a personal letter from our Superior General. In his letter, he described the work in Kirchhellen as a “concrete sign of the vitality” of our community and encouraged us to continue developing initiatives with creativity and courage that help young people encounter Christ and the Church in a meaningful and contemporary way.
This summer was not only active and eventful; it was also a strong sign of how the Youth Monastery lives and shares the Church with and for young people.
Fr. Fransis Da Cunha & Fr. Hildegard Kückelmann
