Anton Riedlhammer and Nicola Düsener hope for dry weather on Epiphany. Because then six caroling groups from the Catholic parish of St. Magdalena in Ottobrunn will march through the town to give more than 75 registered households the blessing “Christ Mansionem Benedicat -Christus bless your house!” bring to. And to collect donations for the global caroling campaign, which this year has the motto “Get healthy, stay healthy. A children’s right worldwide”.
But Corona is again putting obstacles in their way this year. The preparation team around Riedlhammer and Düsener has been observing what the applicable Corona rules allow since November. In mid-December it was decided to go two-pronged and plan both live visits and a carol-singing video. It wasn’t that easy. But it was possible to put together five groups with three children each, reports Anton Riedlhammer, who is responsible for parties and events in the parish. There is even a group of adults who raise funds for children’s worldwide right to health. The money is used to support campaigns that support children who have to suffer child labor, flight, illness and much more. Details can be found under www.sternsinger.de/projekte.
Those who have registered can hope that a group will bring them the blessing of the Lord in the form of the sticker “20 * C + M + B * 22”. Detailed planning has been going on since Monday. The robes are adjusted as well as the traditional songs are rehearsed. The groups are dressed individually, tested for Corona and only come to the garden gate on Thursday. The collection bag is attached to the end of the long stick with the star so that the longed-for donation can be collected while observing the minimum distance. And the obligatory lunch for the kings was also planned in such a way that the groups do not cross each other.
All actors want to visit as many households as humanly possible. Because seeing the children live in front of the front door is the emotionally important moment, says Riedlhammer. Nevertheless, he asks for your understanding that, depending on the weather, the carol groups may not be able to come to everyone who has registered. But Riedlhammer promises everyone will receive the carol singers letter, the sticker and the donation bag. Under the short link https://t1p.de/3Koenige2022 you can still watch the video of a carol singers visit to Ottobrunn until January 9th. Donations for the caroling campaign can be transferred or given in cash in an envelope in the Church of St. Magdalena and in the Hanns-Seidl-Haus.