Corpus Christi festival in Oeffingen: A holiday full of hope and joy!

Corpus Christi festival in Oeffingen: A holiday full of hope and joy!

On Thursday, June 19, 2025, the Catholics celebrated the Corpus Christi festival in Fellbach-Oeffingen, also known as the high festival of the body and blood of Christ. This important festival traditionally begins with a holy mass in the Church of Christ König, where the community comes together at 8:30 a.m. to celebrate the Eucharist, the real presence of Jesus Christ in bread and wine. This high festival, which has its roots in the 13th century, was celebrated by many believers who met for the celebration in order to strengthen the band of the community. As katholiken-fellbach.de , the musical performance was also a highlight of the festival, because church choirs and the music club Oeffingen designed the measuring ceremony with appealing songs.

Following the service, the community moved to four lovingly designed altars in a festive procession, which was led by the pastor with the monstrance. This procession is the most characteristic element of the Corpus Christi festival, in which the consecrated host is symbolically carried through the streets as the body of Christ. The altars, which were built in the following locations, were a real feast of eyes:

• Hof Gieray/Baumann
• am Schlössle
• Am Klosterplatz
• on Kaisersbacher Straße

A variety of groups designed the stations with colorful flower carpets, sacred motifs and elaborately decorated altars. Among them were the Italian community, the rural women, Cornelia Schweizer and a team of Italian women, as well as the Fellbach parish of St. Johannes. This year's motto of the procession "Pilgrims of Hope" reflected the common spirit, which can be felt on such festive occasions. According to Stuttgarter Nachrichten Decoration a real eye -catcher and attracted numerous believers to participate.

The deep meaning behind the festival

But what makes the Corpus Christi festival so special? It is characterized by the Eucharist, which plays the central role in Catholic faith. The name "Corpus Christi" comes from the Middle High German and describes the "body of the Lord". The holiday has its origin in the vision of St. Juliana von Liège, who has been committed to the introduction of a festival for the body and blood of Christ for a long time. As Catholic News Agency , the festival was introduced by Bishop Robert von Lüttich in 1246 and quickly became very important in the entire Latin church.

The first Corpus Christi procession took place in Cologne in 1279, and since then the tradition has been held. The solemn moves are characterized by prayers, the reading of Gospels and the common creed. The musical contributions, such as the hymns "Pange Lingua" and "Tantum Ergo", which come from Thomas Aquin, also contribute to the spiritual atmosphere and make the day an unforgettable experience.

After the procession, a community festival was then held in the schoolyard of the Schillerschule, which served both the sociable gathering and the exchange of community spirit and joy. In addition to the connecting ceremony, the subsequent day in the Church of Christ König is no less celebrated with a baptism - in this case by Lara Amalia Kuhn.