Festival services for the Willibaldswoche: pilgrimages in Gunzenhausen and Neumarkt!

Festival services for the Willibaldswoche: pilgrimages in Gunzenhausen and Neumarkt!

The anticipation is noticeable, because on Monday, July 7th, the Diocese of Eichstätt invites you to festive services as part of this year's Willibald week. Under the motto "With Willibald Piliders in the diocese", two central celebrations will take place in Gunzenhausen and Neumarkt-Woffenbach, which aim to connect the believers closer to St. Willibald and create a room for common prayer. Saint Willibald, diocese founder and an important figure for the region, is particularly recognized on this day, and the event promises to become a spiritual experience for all participants. Diocese of Eichstätt reports on the details of the events.

The celebration takes place in Gunzenhausen in the parish of St. Marien, Nürnberger Straße 36. This is where the event begins at 6 p.m., and there will also be a confessions. Pilgrimage principal Norbert Traub from Wemding leads the believers through the celebration and holds the sermon during the Holy Mass, which is celebrated at 7 p.m. A special highlight will be the relics of St. Willibald.

celebrate in Neumarkt-Woffenbach

in parallel in Neumarkt-Woffenbach, specifically in the church of St. Willibald, Raff.-A.-Lang-Platz 1, the service starts at 6.30 p.m. Dean Stefan Wingen takes over the celebration of the festival service, which is accompanied musically by regional cantor Jan Blahuta and the Evangelical trombone choir Neumarkt. Here, too, the relics of St. Willibald are worshiped.

These decentralized celebrations are part of a larger festival that is all about St. Willibald. From July 4th to 13th, 2025, the Willibaldswoche will be celebrated in Eichstätt. The preparations are in full swing, and an old town festival with a colorful family program is also offered from July 4th to 6th on the Father-Philipp-Beningen-Platz to create a lively atmosphere before the start of the actual festival week. For the smallest guests there are creative activities that provide a lot of fun and variety.

festival program and highlights

On Sunday, July 6th, a big festival service in the Eichstätter Dom is on the program, which is designed with musical support for cathedral music. At 6 p.m. there is a snack for the Willibaldsfest, which invites everyone to experience the contemplative atmosphere of the cathedral. The highlight of the week will be the star pilgrimage on July 10th for the grave of St. Willibald in the Eichstätter Cathedral, where numerous pilgrims are expected. This pilgrimage begins at 9 a.m. at the parking lot at the Rebdorf monastery church.

The program of the Willibaldswoche also includes numerous other services, encounters and special events, including the traditional men's pilgrimage and a special day for couples who are married for 50 years or more. With this festival week, the Diocese of Eichstätt pursues the goal of promoting the spiritual deepening and reinforcement in being Christian and strengthening the community among the faithful. Bishop Hanke encourages everyone to participate and invite you to talks in the marquee after the services.

For everyone interested who want to learn more about the upcoming events, a visit to the information pages is worthwhile. Further details about the Willibaldswoche can be found on the website Deanery Eichstätt Hilpoltstein] (https://www.pfarrverband-hilpolstein.de/startsite/melde-detail/news/willibaldswoche/).