Archives July 2025

Oudtshoorn, 28 July 2025: Under the motto “Trust in Tomorrow,” the Archdiocese of Paderborn is celebrating its traditional Libori Festival until August 3, 2025, with solemn church services in the cathedral and a vibrant array of events throughout the city.

The festival was officially opened on Saturday by Archbishop Udo Markus Bentz during the Pontifical Vespers, a ceremony marked by the elevation of the relics of Saint Liborius—patron of the Archdiocese—and the stirring sound of the Libori fanfare. Addressing the congregation in Paderborn Cathedral, Archbishop Bentz emphasized the importance of building bridges in a world increasingly shaped by conflict, crisis, and war.

The origins of the festival date back to 836, when the relics of St. Liborius of Le Mans were brought from France to the episcopal city of Paderborn as part of the then-customary relic translation process. When the group of clergymen, who had left for Le Mans to war, returned to Paderborn, it was met with great popular participation. The festival began in the 9th century; the later Liborikirmes dates back to the “Magdalene Market” (1521).

Oudtshoorn, 28 July 2025: Under the motto “Trust in Tomorrow,” the Archdiocese of Paderborn is celebrating its traditional Libori Festival until August 3, 2025, with solemn church services in the cathedral and a vibrant array of events throughout the city. The festival was officially opened on Saturday by Archbishop Udo Markus Bentz during the Pontifical Vespers, a ceremony marked by the elevation of the relics of Saint Liborius—patron of the Archdiocese—and the stirring sound of the Libori fanfare. Addressing the congregation in Paderborn Cathedral, Archbishop Bentz emphasized the importance of building bridges in a world increasingly shaped by conflict, crisis, and war.