Using the motto “Seek peace and pursue it!” (Ps 34:15b) the core week of the XII International Pilgrimage of altar boys and girls to Rome of the Coetus Internationalis Ministrantium (CIM) will begin on Monday, July 30, 2018. A total of well over 60,000 altar servers from 18 countries are expected, 50,000 of them from Germany. From today (July 26, 2018), an app will be available to altar servers for the first time. The app goRome! accompanies pilgrims in three different time phases in a playful, informative and spiritual way around the pilgrimage, helps to make contacts and gives tips on site. The app – available in German, English, French, Italian and Hungarian – is published by CIM and was developed with the support of the office for youth ministry of the German Bishops’ Conference (afj), the dioceses and tellux.next.

With a game part, the preparation for the pilgrimage has already begun. The protagonist of the game is St. Tarcisius, the patron saint of all altar servers. The player accompanies him on his way, is confronted with important decisions, can solve exciting tasks and thereby hunt a mysterious peace sign. Today the pilgrim part of the app starts. There is information on pilgrim churches and special places in addition to greetings, a song area, interactive pilgrim routes, prayer initiatives, networking opportunities and links to video and audio streaming of the Audience and to various translations. Many countries and dioceses also have their own national and diocese sections. A map function is also integrated and helps to find specific places, the pilgrim hotel or drinking water, to discover highlights and to network with other pilgrim groups for the exchange of pilgrim signs. In addition, there is a friend-finding function as well as information for cases of injury or emergencies. Of course, the app accompanies the altar servers especially on their spiritual journey. Prayers and impulses for each day of the core week of the pilgrimage are designed in such a way that they can be prayed together or alone. The focus of all this is the personal pilgrimage of each altar server and the personal encounter with the pilgrims on site. At the end of the pilgrimage week, the last part of the app will be activated. The goHome! button accompanies the altar servers back home and provides them with ideas and inspiration.

Social Media
Under hashtag #CIM2018Roma the altar servers are networked through the media. In addition, the pilgrimage will be accompanied via social media through the following channels:
Facebook: Romwallfahrt der Minis
Instagram: romwallfahrt_minis
Twitter: @MinisRom

Photos
Photos of the altar server pilgrimage (press conferences, Papal Audience, blind date, etc.) in print quality are available free of charge. The selection of photos will be constantly expanded during the pilgrimage week.
Link to the photo gallery: www.joernneumann.pixieset.com/ministrantenwallfahrt2018
Copyright: © Deutsche Bischofskonferenz / Jörn Neumann

Overview of press events
During the press conferences, in addition to a German altar boy, an English and a Ukrainian altar boy will be present for discussion.
Opening Press Conference on Monday, 30 July 2018, at 2 p.m. at Sala Pio X
(Via dell’Ospedale 1, Rome, near Vatican).
Papal Audience on Tuesday, 31 July 2018, at 6 p.m. on St Peter’s Square in Rome.
Closing Press Conference on Thursday, 2 August 2018, at 11 a.m. at Sala Pio X
(Via dell’Ospedale 1, Rome, near Vatican).

Transmission of the Papal Audience
The Papal Audience will be broadcast live on the Internet at www.vaticannews.va from 6 p.m. In addition, Vatican News will provide translation services for the Audience. You can reach the transmission via this QR code, which leads to the Vatican Audio app:
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