Rösrath’s School’s Out camp united youth for friendship, reflection, outdoor activities and community beyond screens and school stress.
Newsroom (17/07/2026 Gaudium Press ) As the school year drew to a close, young people in and around Rösrath who were unable to travel during the holidays were given an opportunity to celebrate the start of summer in a different way. Organizers invited them to a “heavenly summer evening,” combining recreation, friendship, spirituality and community building in an effort to create meaningful experiences beyond the pressures of school and the distractions of digital life.
The “School’s Out” camp, hosted at the Caritas building near Rösrath’s Schützenplatz, was designed to encourage young people to step away from their mobile phones and connect with one another in person. The event brought together youth from across the region, creating opportunities to form new friendships and strengthen networks among neighboring communities.
The initiative was created by Sarah Zurlo with the support of Johannes Euteneuer, youth ministers Nora Richerzhagen from Rösrath and Nicole Dutzi from Overath, and Elisabeth Wessel from the Archdiocese of Cologne’s Office for Youth, School, and University Ministry.
“This is our first step, an experiment,” Zurlo said. “We want to discover how youth ministry can succeed today.”
She also expressed the hope that participants would encounter a broader understanding of faith and community, imagining young people leaving with the realization: “Oh… this is Church too?”
A key feature of the event was the “Spiri Room,” a specially designed retreat offering relief from the intense summer heat, which reached 34 degrees Celsius. The air-conditioned room’s windows were covered with red film to soften the sunlight, while cushions scattered across the floor created a calm and welcoming atmosphere.
Upon entering, participants could draw cards from a box labeled “Challenge.” The cards encouraged simple acts of kindness, including complimenting someone sincerely or offering a smile. A second box, titled “Positive Energy,” provided affirming messages such as “You are exactly right just as you are” and “You make a difference.”
The concept was developed by Benedikt Schumacher, a student from Overath, together with Johannes Euteneuer, a pastoral associate in the Archdiocese of Cologne’s school ministry. The room invited visitors to slow down, listen to Taizé music, reflect on short spiritual texts and spend time in silence.
Just across the square, another attraction drew steady attention. A bright red construction trailer converted into a “Tiny Church” served as a space for conversation and reflection. There, Regamy Thillainathan, rector of the Cologne archdiocesan seminary, welcomed visitors and engaged them in dialogue.
According to Euteneuer, participation in all activities was based on a simple principle: voluntary involvement.
“No one has to. Everyone is welcome if they want to,” he said.
Building Connections Through Shared Resources
The camp was the result of 18 months of planning and collaboration. Participants aged 14 and older came from a variety of youth organizations, including altar server groups, Catholic Scouts, the Catholic Rural Youth Movement (KLJB), the Rösrath Youth Center (JuZe) and the Open Youth Ministry in Overath (OJO).
Officially promoted as “A Heavenly Summer Evening,” the event aimed to offer a balance of relaxation and engagement. Organizers provided spiritual reflections, sports, games, creative workshops and opportunities for socializing, while also recognizing students’ achievements throughout the academic year and examination period.
The gathering carried an additional purpose: strengthening connections across neighboring Catholic communities as the newly merged pastoral region of Overath–Rösrath continues to take shape.
“We’re combining our resources to send a message of strong regional cooperation within our future pastoral area,” Zurlo said.
She added that organizers wanted to demonstrate that alongside academic demands, young people can find spaces of belonging and purpose.
“We also want to show that beyond academic pressure there are places of community where everyone can find something meaningful,” she said.
Zurlo believes such initiatives are particularly valuable at a time when young people are navigating rapid social change and searching for meaning and direction.
One area of the camp, known as the “Marketplace of Opportunities,” introduced visitors to a range of Catholic ministries and services, including youth centers, counseling programs, volunteer organizations and Catholic associations. Rather than remaining behind information tables, representatives actively approached participants, creating a more welcoming atmosphere and encouraging personal conversations.
A Popular Photo Opportunity
Among the most visited attractions was the diocesan vocations booth, where a life-sized cardboard cutout of Pope Leo XIV became an unexpected crowd favorite.
Christine Hass of the Archdiocese’s vocations ministry photographed visitors alongside the pontiff’s likeness, with prints available immediately as keepsakes from the event.
Entertainment was provided by actor Michael Strepewick, who engaged guests through situational comedy, humorous conversations and small magic tricks. Meanwhile, food stalls offered burgers, wraps and cold drinks, adding to the festive environment.
Under a teepee tent, Scouts gathered around a campfire roasting marshmallows. The Rösrath Scout troop, founded only two years ago, has already grown to around 80 active members within the German Catholic Scout Association of St. George (DPSG).
Scout leader Thomas Allenstein said demand remains strong and the group could welcome even more children if additional adult volunteers were available.
Alongside Janine Link, Alexandra Flintrop and other parents, Allenstein is working to recruit new leaders. As former Scouts themselves, they hope to provide today’s children with the same opportunities for friendship, adventure and personal development that shaped their own experiences.
“This event is a chance to encourage older young people to become leaders,” Allenstein said. “Offering something like this for children in our city, regardless of their religious background, is important to us.”
Link emphasized the importance of outdoor experiences and face-to-face interaction.
“Children need to get outside into nature and experience real life with friends instead of constantly being on digital devices,” she said.
She added that Scout programs help young people become more independent while fostering community through regular meetings and outdoor adventures.
A Message of Belonging
For many participants, the appeal of the camp was simple. Teenagers Lian, Hanna, Tessa and Gwen said they came to spend time with friends and perhaps meet new people.
Throughout the evening, visitors engaged with local organizations, including conversations with Camilo Aguilar, a neighborhood development officer with Caritas RheinBerg. Musical entertainment came from the men’s choir “Laut aberschief” (“Loud but Off-Key”) from Marialinden, whose performance of popular Cologne regional songs further energized the celebration.
The event concluded with a short spiritual reflection from Thillainathan titled More Than You Think. Addressing the young audience, he encouraged them to recognize their own value and dignity.
“You are God’s perfect version of yourself,” he told the gathered youth.
He expressed the hope that each young person would one day be able to say with confidence: “Just as I am, I am wanted by God, loved by God, accepted by God, and sent into the world by God. In God’s eyes, I am precious.”
For organizers, that message of belonging, community and personal worth lies at the heart of the “School’s Out” camp, an initiative they hope will continue to grow as a model for youth engagement in the region.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from Global Catholic
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