“Bridges on all levels”: Eugen Eckert in the Frankfurt stadium. Image: Aaron Leithäuser
He tries it with Gandhi: Stadium priest Eugen Eckert talks in an interview about parallels between match day and church service, the blessing for cowl fans and bridges for the ultras.
How does the work of the stadium pastor differ from his colleagues, Mr. Eckert?
Let me give you a concrete example: I was a parish priest for six years. I represented the model that baptisms must take place in the community service so that the community realizes: “We have responsibility for children.” At that time I worked in Offenbach-Lauterborn. I could have had baptism services there every Sunday. At some point the core community got annoyed, they said: “Strangers always come and we who live here are never the important ones.” When baptism services are celebrated in the stadium chapel, only the baptism takes place, only the baptismal family and relatives come Friends. I ensure a beautiful and appropriate celebration with everyone’s participation, but I no longer have the pressure that I had as a parish priest.
