Children and youth groups from all over Austria and South Tyrol visit the Hofburg to celebrate its anniversary – the President praises the important efforts of the 85,000 star singers nationwide
Vienna (KAP) – Star singer groups from all over Austria and South Tyrol were received by Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen and his wife Doris Schmidauer in the Vienna Hofburg on Saturday. The head of state congratulated his young guests on behalf of all 85,000 children and young people nationwide involved on this year’s 70th birthday of the star singer campaign and acknowledged their “important message of peace”. He also emphasized that the commitment of the children dressed as the three kings works “across all possible boundaries – those in our heads as well as real ones.”
Van der Bellen connected the star singer anniversary with the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, celebrated in November. Both are “signs of hope”. The star singers would also work for the worldwide implementation of human rights. The Federal President particularly emphasized that the children and young people involved in the campaign reached out to all people – “regardless of their faith, origin, social status or whether they have lived in Austria for a long time or only a short time.” He is grateful to them for this – as well as to the donors for their “important support for a better world”.
As Van der Bellen also mentioned, the funds from the house collection during the star singing go to aid projects in other continents. This means that help is being provided elsewhere, such as in the Philippines, Guatemala or Tanzania, together with local initiatives. A total of 520 million euros in aid money has been raised since the first star singer campaign in 1954, reported Teresa Millesi, the federal chairwoman of the Catholic Youth Group responsible for the Epiphany campaign, during the already traditional visit to the presidential office.
On behalf of the star singers, Millesi wished the Federal President “good coexistence, health and well-being”, but also expressed the wish for peaceful and solidarity-based coexistence for all of Austria and beyond the country’s borders. Politicians should work for a “future worth living” and for a good life to be possible, especially for younger generations. Decisions made today would have significant consequences for future generations, including the climate crisis and environmental protection. “Ecological and social awareness must set the tone for political action,” said the Jungeschar chairwoman.
Door blessing for the Hofburg
Star singer delegations from the parish of Neustift in Tyrol, from St. Martin im Sulmtal in Styria, from the Melk monastery parish belonging to the diocese of St. Pölten, from Ottensheim in Upper Austria, from Dornbirn-Hatlerdorf in Vorarlberg, and from the Burgenland parishes were represented in the presidential chancellery Jennersdorf and Rudersdorf, from the Strasshof parish in the Archdiocese of Vienna, from St. Stefan in Gailtal (Carinthia) and also from Sand in Taufers, which belongs to the Diocese of Bozen-Brixen.
Each group presented a song, there were also star singers’ sayings, photos of the kings with the head of state and the annual blessing “20+CMB+24” written on the door. The latter stands for “Christus mansionem benedicat” (Christ bless this house), but also refers to the initials for Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar, the traditional names of the three kings at the nativity scene in Bethlehem. Federal President Van der Bellen presented his guests with a donation for the aid projects advertised this year and then invited everyone present to enjoy donuts and sausage rolls.
Guatemala is the priority country
The star singer campaign 2024 focuses on child protection and training for young people in Guatemala. Children and young people in the Central American country are particularly affected by poverty and exploitation: every second child in Guatemala is chronically malnourished, with the damage to their health often having a lifelong impact. The campaign also supports families, schools and church institutions, which become safe spaces in which children and young people are protected from violence.
Another focus is education. Vocational training and economic projects for young people create income and enable a secure future, says the Epiphany Campaign. This would allow young people to live in their region and not have to embark on dangerous migration. Support is provided through vocational training courses and start-up assistance for the young people’s small projects, such as breeding farm animals, producing food or repairing electrical appliances.
More celebrity visits
After visits to Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, ministers Klaudia Tanner and Gerhard Karner and National Council President Wolfgang Sobotka and now to the Hofburg, star singer groups will also be paying visits to other well-known personalities from politics, church and society in the coming days. Appointments are planned, among others, with Federal Chancellor Karl Nehammer and Vice-Chancellor Werner Kogler, with ministers Norbert Totschnig, Karoline Edtstadler, Martin Kocher and Leonore Gewessler, with National Council President Doris Bures and the various club chairmen in the National Council.
However, the core of Austria’s largest development policy fundraising campaign are the home visits that the children and young people dressed as three kings with star bearers make in the days between Christmas and Epiphany. More than 85,000 star singers from 3,000 Austrian parishes serve a good cause every year and last year collected over 19.3 million euros for a good cause. This supports a total of 500 projects in Africa, Asia and Latin America that are dedicated to combating poverty and creating future prospects for young people.
(Donations are also possible via the Epiphany Campaign account IBAN: AT23 6000 0000 9300 0330, or online at www.sternsingen.at/spenden; www.sternsingen.at)
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