Unique insights: Children's Pilgrimage Day in Münster inspires 1,200 preschoolers!

Unique insights: Children's Pilgrimage Day in Münster inspires 1,200 preschoolers!

On June 12, 2025, a very special event will be celebrated in Münster: the first children's pilgrimage day for preschool children from Catholic daycare centers north of the diocese of North Rhine-Westphalia. Around 1,200 children from around 70 facilities, from Coesfeld to Warendorf, came together to celebrate the transition from daycare to school and to experience significant moments of faith. The event was organized by the diocese's action program “Kita - Place of Faith”, which is strongly committed to integrating faith into the everyday lives of young people, as [kita-lebensort-des- Glaubens.de](https://www.kita-lebensort-des- Glaubens.de/) reports.

A highlight of the day was exploring St. Paul's Cathedral, where the children stopped at seven stations. The large organ, which a six-year-old described enthusiastically, was particularly exciting. The grave of Cardinal von Galen was also part of the voyage of discovery. Here the children were allowed to light candles, bless each other with water and got to know the baptismal font. Educator Melanie Eckel said that the excitement was palpable during the bus ride and that the children were really excited by the anticipation of the day.

A day full of experiences

Making creative pilgrim sticks together, enjoying open singing in the Überwasserkirche or developing your imagination in the puppet theater - the children's pilgrimage day was an experience for all the senses. There was also a reading island in the library that offered space for stories and adventures. The highlight of the day was certainly not long in coming: in the KSHG auditorium, the children experienced a very special form of expression through music on a drum trip together with other fellow travelers.

“Being on the journey together” was the motto that ran through all activities. The children were not only given the opportunity to move around and discover the world, but also to experience community and talk about their thoughts and feelings, as kita-rheine.de summarizes. The idea of ​​pilgrimage, which is often used in adult life to relax and gain a clear view of things, experienced a very special children's version here.

Gratitude and outlook

The day ended solemnly with a liturgy of the word in the cathedral, during which there was singing and prayer. Stefanie Auditor and Marcus Bleimann were impressed by the smooth execution of the event and thanked everyone involved for the positive feedback. Anja Dombrink, network leader in the Catholic Church, also rated the day as a complete success. This shows how important the daycare center is as a place of life for the children and that the transition to school is not just a step, but a shared path that can be taken with joy and hope.

In a new newsletter on the topic of “Peace”, the positive experiences and moments experienced are summarized for everyone who is interested. This means that the children's pilgrimage day remains an experience that will last for a long time and which the participating children will certainly talk about with shining eyes.