Village Festival Wewer with St. John's Procession

Tradition in the Paderborn District of Wewer

Wewer is a western district of Paderborn, the East Westphalian university city in the Paderborn district (Detmold administrative region, North Rhine-Westphalia). With around 5,000 inhabitants, Wewer has retained its own village character — the village festival on the last Sunday in June is one of the annual highlights of the district. It is traditionally organized by the St. Johannes and St. Hubertus Rifle Brotherhood, which also hosts the district's rifle festival.

Mass and St. John's Procession

The religious act is at the heart of the village festival: on Sunday morning, the festive mass takes place in the parish church of St. Johannes Baptist at Alter Hellweg 37. Afterwards, depending on the weather and the parish team, the St. John's Procession winds its way through the village. St. John's Day (June 24) is the Catholic feast of St. John the Baptist, to whom the Wewer parish church is dedicated. The procession follows traditional stations around the church.

Catering and Socialising

After the mass and procession, the riflemen open the festival grounds next to the church: bratwurst, fries, cake from the buffet of the women from the parish, draft beer, and soft drinks. The festival grounds remain open until 6 p.m. — a cozy atmosphere of meeting neighbours, families, and former Wewer residents who have returned for the hometown festival.

Rifle Traditions in East Westphalia

The St. Johannes and St. Hubertus Rifle Brotherhood Wewer is part of the dense network of rifle clubs in East Westphalia and the Paderborn district. Rifle brotherhoods shape club life in the region — they combine religious tradition (patron saint's day, procession) with social commitment (rifle festival, carnival, village festival). The Wewer village festival with St. John's Procession is a good example of this connection between faith, community, and conviviality.

Getting There

Wewer is located about 6 kilometers west of Paderborn city center on the B 1, easily accessible by car (parking around the church). By public transport: Bus line 11 (PaderSprinter) from Paderborn Hbf, stop Wewer Kirche. Admission to the village festival is free.