New parish team in Zollstock: Together against loneliness on Christmas Eve!

New parish team in Zollstock: Together against loneliness on Christmas Eve!

A lot is happening in the Pius community in Zollstock: A new parish team has taken over the helm, and under the leadership of Pastor Robert Knezevic, the focus is on community and closeness. The Christmas mass on Christmas Eve has a special star this year and begins at 8 p.m. After the service everyone is invited to a drink and a snack in order to reduce the loneliness on Christmas Eve, especially for single people. Knezevic brings personal experience to understand the needs of local people and to have an open ear for everyone. That's what he reports Cologne City Gazette.

Together with Karolin Plichta, who acts as a consultant for church planting, and a committed musician, the team wants to make St. Pius a meeting place for all people, regardless of their faith. The plans also include a new offer: starting next year, there will be a free lunch after Sunday masses to promote togetherness. In order for these ideas to become reality, the kitchen in the parish hall will be converted to accommodate the new culinary offerings.

New impulses for a tangible faith

The parish team focuses on modern renewal programs that are intended to bring a breath of fresh air throughout the entire church. This is how the “Neustart Gemeinde” project is implemented, which focuses on renewal through innovative approaches such as “Church Planting” from England. The need for these renewals, as emphasized by the “New Start Community” project, is clear: commitment to personnel and familiar places are needed to build a strong faith community. The Community Development Team has clearly defined goals that are intended to sustainably increase the quality of religious life.

An important part of the vision is the offer of new activities that will particularly benefit younger people and single parents. Plans include, among other things, student meetings, learning places for students and cooking courses for children so that even the youngest ones can be integrated into the community. In the future, the church services in St. Pius will also be enriched by electric piano, drums and guitar, which will create a new musical atmosphere. A fresh wind is blowing through the parish!

A garden for everyone

Another exciting aspect of the redesign concerns the planned parish garden with raised beds, which is scheduled to open in the spring. This garden should not only be a place for leisure activities, but also represent a unifying element within the community. The focus of the planning is on returning to communal elements and creating opportunities for personal connection.

The vision of St. Pius is clear: a place should be created for people of different backgrounds and beliefs. This goal is also achieved through the methods of Restoration project which focuses on the renewal of communities in a post-Christian context. The initiatives and programs aim to dynamically transform communities and make faith tangible.

The coming years promise to be exciting. St. Pius is ready to act as a welcoming place for everyone and to live community in a new way - with a clear focus on closeness, support and cohesion. A good hand in implementing the plans could change the fate of the parish in the long term.