Religion with a difference

How witty donkeys teach kids about spirituality

Marie Wiemer with her two donkeys and the First Communion children from Großhöflein.

(Bild: Petra Klikovits)

Tomorrow is Palm Sunday. Donkeys also play an important role. But why? The First Communion children from Großhöflein in Burgenland found out during a visit to the "Horse Marie" in Antau.

Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week in Christianity. On this day, processions take place in all Catholic parishes in the country, where priests bless the palm catkins of the faithful with holy water. The bushes are symbolic of the palm branches with which, according to the Gospel of Luke, people greeted Jesus jubilantly more than 2000 years ago when he entered Jerusalem sitting on a donkey. Up until the twelfth century, clergymen were carried around the parishes on donkeys on Palm Sunday. Then the custom more or less disappeared.

The next KISI Club will take place on April 13 from 10 am to 12 noon.

(Bild: Petra Klikovits)

In the shoes of the Holy Family
Religious education teacher and equine therapist Marie Wiemer from Antau is reviving this tradition as part of her KISI Clubs by making spirituality more tangible for children through play, song and dance. As all girls and boys are welcome to attend the clubs, the first communion children from Großhöflein recently dropped by. And they were absolutely thrilled when they were allowed to act out Bible stories with Wiemer's donkeys "Berta" and "Balu", who live on her farm.

First, "Berta" was used to re-enact the scene when the pregnant Mary and her fiancé Joseph ride on the donkey to Bethlehem for the census. "I'll play Mary!" declared eight-year-old Mathilda Schlag with conviction and quickly disappeared under a pink veil. "Then I want to be Joseph!" cried Julian Hahnenkamp, grabbing his stick and felt hat - "I like mountain farmer boys" - tenderly putting his arm around his wife and helping her onto the back of donkey lady Berta. A loud giggle went through the crowd.

Mathilda Schlag played the pregnant "Maria", Julian Hahnenkamp her fiancé "Josef"

(Bild: Petra Klikovits)

(Bild: Petra Klikovits)

First cheers, then ostracism
When the stubborn beast of burden stamped briefly, everyone was quiet again and the procession made its way over imaginary hills and mountains to the stables, which symbolized the birthplace of the infant Jesus. Shortly afterwards, the Son of God was already lying in the manger in the form of a doll. The disguised Joseph took over changing the diaper: "We modern men can do it easily!"

What felt like an hour later, the staging of Christ's Passion followed. For this, Clemens Huber slipped into the role of the adult Jesus and clambered onto the donkey "Baloo". A touching experience for the eight-year-old! The game made him realize how quickly people's moods can change. Of all people, those who still paid homage to Jesus on Palm Sunday and believed him to be the liberator from the Roman rulers had condemned him just one week later and had him nailed to the cross.

Clemens Huber as "Jesus".

(Bild: Petra Klikovits)

After the resurrection, he first showed himself to Mary Magdalene.

(Bild: Petra Klikovits)

A friend for life
Today, it is often no different when judgments are made all too quickly about others. But that wasn't the only thing that moved the children. "Baloo" did too. The African donkey has a black eel mark on its back - in the shape of a cross.

"According to legend, Jesus was accompanied throughout his life by a donkey that followed him to the cross. The sight of his master on the cross made him so sad that he turned away and the sun burned a sign of the cross on his back," Marie Wiemer explained. This made the children realize what a faithful friend a donkey is. In gratitude for this experience, there were not only carrots for "Berta" and "Balu", but also lots of cuddles.