Bonn patron saints Cassius and Florentius honoured in traditional festival
BONN · Ten days of celebrations to mark Bonn’s patron saints began on Sunday, highlighting the work of the city’s volunteers and lifesavers.
The slogan for this year’s traditional ten day long celebrations honouring the city’s patron saints, Cassius and Florentius, is “They for us – we for Bonn” and highlights the work of today’s volunteers and lifesavers. A photo collection of more than 50 police, firemen, first aiders, street cleaners and other full-time and voluntary workers has been made into a mosaic of the Bonn skyline. The picture was hung next to the main entrance of the Bonn Minster at the opening mass on Sunday evening.
As is customary, the city council, represented by the district mayor, Helmut Kollig, asked for the crypt to be opened. The wooden reliquary busts of the two martyrs were then carried in a procession around the Minster. As tradition demands, on giving his answer, the city dean knocked three times on the door of the crypt with the processional cross while the Cassius-Florentius fanfare rang out. The opening of the crypt marks the official start of the celebrations.
The names of the mythical patron saints shape the face of the city through the stone sculptures of their heads in front of the Minster, or names such as the Cassius-Bastei and the Florentiusgraben. There is also a depiction of the two on the historic city seals.
The festival for the city’s patron saints ends on 18 October. On every day except Sundays there are lunchtime prayers with a procession (12.15pm), prayers with personal blessings (3.30pm) and pilgrims’ masses (6pm). On Saturday, 15 October there is a family rally around the Minster (1-3pm) and on Sunday, 16 October there is a celebration service in the Minster and the Marterfest in Endenich, both at 10am. The crypt will be closed again during a mass at 6pm on Tuesday, 18 October.
Whoever has not visited the Minster by then will probably have missed their chance: the church will then be closed for a complete renovation which will take at least two years.
(Original text: Alexander Barth. Translated by Kate Carey)
