104th German Catholic Day Würzburg

As the German Catholic Day takes place every two years, the 2024 edition — not 2025 — was the last before Würzburg. From May 29 to June 2, 2024, around 20,000 participants gathered in Erfurt, Thuringia, for the 103rd Catholic Day under the motto "The man of peace has a future" (Psalm 37) — a direct reference to the war in Ukraine.

Erfurt was a deliberate choice as the host city: in a region where Catholic Christians are a minority, the aim was to build bridges between denominations, faith communities, and the secular majority society. The program included around 500 events — services, political and theological forums, workshops, exhibitions, cabaret, the "Night of Lights," and daily evening blessings on Domplatz. The experiences from Erfurt — especially the digital program design, the organizational structure, and the format — were directly incorporated into the Würzburg planning for 2026.