Star singers bring a message of peace to the Archbishop and Chancellor!

Star singers bring a message of peace to the Archbishop and Chancellor!

On December 29, 2025, the Archbishop's Palace in Vienna was the scene of a warm visit. The star singers from the Gersthof parish brought Archbishop Josef Grünwidl the Christmas message of peace and the blessing for the new year. The festive occasion was characterized by charity and solidarity, as well as by the South Tyrol News reported. Unfortunately, Cardinal Christoph Schönborn was unable to attend due to health reasons and the children wished him a speedy recovery.

Since December 27th, around 85,000 children and young people in Austria have been traveling as the Three Wise Men and are proudly keeping the tradition of star singing alive. Anna, Peter, Leopold, Amelie and Johanna, the special representatives of the star singers from the Gersthof parish, showed themselves full of enthusiasm and commitment. Archbishop Grünwidl praised the exemplary commitment of the children and those accompanying them, which not only maintains local traditions but also makes a valuable contribution to global solidarity.

Visits to the Federal Chancellor and Federal President

The festive activities continued on Monday afternoon with a reception hosted by Chancellor Christian Stocker (ÖVP). He described the star singers as an integral part of the Christian tradition and emphasized the importance of charity and social cohesion. The Chancellor's warm words were followed by another important date: on Tuesday, Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen will be visited by the Three Wise Men, which underlines the recognition of star singing at the highest level.

The star singers will be traveling to almost 3,000 Austrian parishes until January 6th, with around two thirds of the participants being girls. Not only do they collect donations, but they also bring blessings to the people they meet. Their commitment has an important social background: The Epiphany Campaign supports around 500 projects in Africa, Asia and Latin America every year, with the focus of this year's star singing being on Tanzania. The focus here is on empowering Maasai women and girls.

Tradition and solidarity combined

Every visit and every donation collected during the star singing is part of a larger message. For centuries, the star singers have combined tradition with an act of solidarity by supporting disadvantaged people. In addition to the celebratory visits, the star singers are also an important voice for social justice. More information about the Epiphany Campaign and its projects can be found at dka.at.

Some other highlights of Star Singer activities in the coming days include participation in the New Year's service with Pope Leo XIV in Rome on January 1, 2026 and the ongoing collection of donations for people in need. Anyone who would like to support the Epiphany campaign can do so via the donation account with the IBAN AT23 6000 0000 9300 0330. A nice example of how you can combine customs with a good cause!