Caritas mobilizes hope: New minibus for meetings in Pirna!

Caritas mobilizes hope: New minibus for meetings in Pirna!

A new Caritasmobile was handed over on the banks of the Elbe in Pirna on October 29, 2025, which is intended to provide a breath of fresh air in rural support. Bishop Heinrich Timmerevers blessed the new VW Multivan, which was brought into being through a cooperation between Caritas in the Saxon Switzerland/Eastern Ore Mountains area and the Catholic Academy of the Dresden-Meißen diocese. The focus of the vehicle is clearly on promoting encounters in often difficult-to-reach areas, as Juliana Schneider, managing director of the Caritas Association for Dresden e.V., emphasizes.

“We have a good hand when it comes to direct support on site,” continued Schneider. The Caritasmobile is intended to support Caritas employees in order to offer help with loneliness, disorientation and social tensions. A particular focus is on facilitating conversations. The vehicle will also take the SachsenSofa to various venues where relevant social, ethical and religious issues will be discussed.

Important topics for discussion

Among the next topics up for debate are suicide prevention and the integration of migrants into the labor market. The audience should not only be there, but also become active. The discussions will be broadcast on regional television to achieve a wider reach. The role of Caritas becomes particularly clear here: the organization is not only highly relevant in the current situation, but has been contributing to social justice and support for over a century.

Caritas itself is part of an international network that is active in more than 200 countries. This impressive structure helps those in need of help find support in various situations, be it existential crises or other emergencies. An example of this is the online counseling service U25, which offers special support for young people in crisis situations. Peers who have been specially trained are available as contacts to offer anonymous help and respond to inquiries within two working days.

The path of Caritas

Caritas looks back on a long tradition that dates back to 1891. It arose from the need to promote social justice and support the disadvantaged. The first association in Germany was founded in Freiburg in 1897 and since then Caritas has expanded significantly internationally. It is currently the second largest humanitarian aid organization in the world, right after the International Red Cross. Caritas' mission includes not only emergency aid, but also development aid, which is more important than ever in current crisis situations.

In this sense, the new Caritasmobile is a further step towards expanding Caritas' presence in rural areas and offering direct support where it is needed most. With the support of the Bonifatiuswerk of German Catholics, a donation from 4 Source Electronics Dresden and the Dresden-Meißen diocese, this aid campaign will bring hope and help in the region.