EUROPE/GERMANY - Once again this year Germany’s Holy Childhood Sternsingers win ‘donation seal’ for responsible donation management issued by German Central Institute for Social Issues

Monday, 16 January 2006

Aachen (Fides Service) - For accurate and responsible management of donations received, once again this year the Holy Childhood initiative Sternsingers (Star Singers) campaign has won the ‘donation seal’ given by the German Central Institute for Social Issues (Deutsches Zentralinstitut für soziale Fragen, DZI). The Berlin based DZI founded in 1893, gives its ‘donation seal’ as a mark of approval for social and charity initiatives. The same award was granted to the Catholic aid agency Aid to the Church in Need which assists the Church mainly in eastern European countries. In 2004 the Pontifical Holy Childhood Society in Germany spent only 4% of donations received for administration and advertising.
Trustworthy and responsible management on the part of Holy Childhood Germany is confirmed by local partners in countries where its donations are employed. On the occasion of a recent visit to Germany the general secretaries of English speaking Catholic Bishops’ Conferences expressed sincere appreciation and gratitude to the Sternsingers initiative which supports programmes in their respective countries. “The solidarity that German children show towards children in our countries makes us very happy” said the representative of Malawi Fr. Joseph Mpinganjira.
Dressed as Three Kings and carrying the Star, during the Christmas season about half a million Stern Singers in 12,500 parishes all over Germany go from home to home carrying a special blessing to families, marked by the letters C+M+B (Christus mansionem benedicat - may Christ bless this home) chalked over front doors of homes visited, and collecting funds for poor children in mission countries. Sternsingers has become the world’s most important solidarity campaign involving children all over the world to help less fortunate children. (M.S.) (16/1/2006 - 24 righe, 310 parole)


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