Celebrating Ascension Day in the United Parishes of Gernach, Unterspiesheim and Oberspiesheim with a Focus on Community and Solidarity

A sign of the bond between the three communities of Gernach, Unterspiesheim and Oberspiesheim, which belong to the parish community of St. Raphael, is the traditional service on the eve of Ascension Day. The believers from the three communities go in processions with music, prayer and song to the Gernacher lakes, where the service for the feast of the Ascension of Christ is celebrated.

The music bands from the three communities accompany the singing of the believers. In his sermon, Pastor Thomas Amrehn focused on Arnold Schwarzenegger’s legendary saying: “I’ll be back”, about which he had argued with James Cameron, the director of the film “Terminator”. “I will be back” – I will come back – this promise of Jesus applies to all of us. Jesus will keep his promise to come again.

He will look after us – a wish everyone has for someone to look after them. However, there is concern that looking at one’s own prosperity and one’s own interests will push this concern for others into the background. However, the central message of Jesus and Christianity is to go beyond borders, to develop fantasies and models that make community possible, that provide the basis for looking after the other.

Living communities of young and old, the concern of those who are wealthy for those who could have less, are concrete expressions of “looking after the other”. Jesus’ promise “I will be back” gives hope and strength to shape our environment in the sense of community and solidarity.

After the service, everyone was invited to enjoy the offered Wienerwurst and drinks, and to talk to each other. Those responsible from the St. Aegidius parish had prepared the seating, Oberspiesheim provided the drinks and the Wienerle.

After a good while, the signal was given to return to the respective communities, and the pilgrims set off again for the churches in their communities. There the pilgrimage came to an end.

By: Erhard Scholl, for the parishes of Gernach, Unterspiesheim and Oberspiesheim