New chapter for Catholics in Dachau: City church founded!

New chapter for Catholics in Dachau: City church founded!

Today an important festival took place in Dachau that was supposed to lead the Catholic community in the city into new times. Six parishes have established the Catholic City Church of Dachau, a step initiated by the city's priest Dr. Benjamin Gnan was described as a “milestone”. The festive service in the parish church of St. Jacob was celebrated by Auxiliary Bishop Wolfgang Bischof, who in his speech praised the pastoral unity of the newly founded city church and encouraged the believers to actively participate in shaping their church.

The bishop also brought greetings from Archbishop Reinhard Cardinal Marx and described the founding of the city church as a “beautiful sign” of unity. With 75 altar boys and various groups, including choirs and volunteers, it was impressively shown how diverse and vital church life is in Dachau. During the service, a new logo for the city church was presented, which serves as a visual symbol of this new beginning.

An invitation to live your faith

In his address, Bishop Bishop emphasized the challenges that lie ahead of the new city church and praised the courage of everyone involved in taking this new path. “The church is a community that doesn’t just depend on the clergy,” were the bishop’s motivating words. He called on people to embark on the path with Jesus and not only to receive faith, but to actively live it.

A central part of the Christian community are ordained ministers, such as priests and deacons. These take on essential services in the church and have the responsibility to promote community and faith in their areas. The sacrament of Holy Orders, in which the grace of the Holy Spirit is conferred, is a crucial step for anyone seeking ecclesial service. This shows that ordained persons not only have to fulfill their tasks in the context of the liturgy, but also in pastoral care and in supporting the faithful.

The path to consecration

Consecration, carried out through rites such as the laying on of hands and prayer, is a religious act that prepares individuals for service in the Church and bestows upon them special grace. Bishops, priests and deacons are the three fundamental offices within the Catholic Church, with these orders being celebrated primarily on holy days. The consecration is irrevocable and confers the “character indelebilis,” meaning that the consecrated person is forever anchored in his or her office.

Readers should know that despite numerous challenges, there are also great opportunities to live your faith in everyday life. The responsibilities of ordained persons are diverse: they proclaim the Gospel, celebrate the sacraments and care for the spiritual well-being of the faithful.

The initiatives in Dachau are intended to help make church life more and more lively under the new roof of the city church and to anchor faith in the community. Open dialogue and active participation are key to remaining a place of togetherness and faith in the future.

The warm atmosphere and the large number of participants at the festive service show how important the Catholic community in Dachau is and that it is well on its way to acting in a future-oriented manner.