GERMANY, Sebastian Roth•
Presenting – With YOU More Happens! With this motto the “Night of the Shrine 2017” wants to offer inspiration and bring Schoenstatt alive at the beginning of September (01-03.09).
Even though, on account of its geographical situation, this event mainly attracts German youth and young adults, we will be dealing with topics that are valid worldwide. We want to open Schoenstatt to the world and prepare ourselves for the future.
That is why this year’s motto is: “Presenting – With YOU more happens!”
Take the step and get involved
The world stage, and the small stages of our everyday lives, are always open to us, we only need to walk onto them, and can bring about great things in a small space – through our personality and our Movement spirit as Schoenstatters. If we take the step and get involved, either for refugees who have come in such large numbers to Europe in the last years, in a local association, or in aid projects all over the world – then with each one of us more happens. More in the sense of lived Christianity in the world – love of others that is tangible.
Our look at the world can become more keen and inspired above all by our guest, Martin Mikat of the Gruenhelmen – Green helmets (more at” www.gruenhelmen.de. The website is only in German, but the pictures speak for themselves).
Final intensive preparations
At the last meeting of the preparation team at the end of July in the Schoenstatt Centre in Stuttgart – before it leaves for the place of foundation at Vallendar in the first weekend of September – we gave it a final polish. The last tasks were given out. Discussions ironed out the last details, and the community life of the core team was cultivated during an evening walk. The Fathers proved to be excellent guides to Southern Germany at their main place of residence.
Will the workshop fit in as it is; where will we place the exhibition about the Gruenhelme; who will look for sponsors; when will we arrive in Schoenstatt to prepare the ground during the volunteer’s week, so that we have the most fruitful possible festival? These and other questions were on the agenda and gave rise to intensive discussions and creative contributions.
Forming the future creatively
The Night of the Shrine is meant to offer an opportunity to make an active contribution towards forming the summer in Schoenstatt. At the same time it offers the Schoenstatt Youth and other young people and young adults a festival of faith during which they can see the bigger picture, and find a platform for good conversations and inspiration for their lives. To achieve this we need the whole of Schoenstatt in order to reach as many young people as possible. In Schoenstatt we want to form the future, and to offer new and vital inspirations to the world and Schoenstatt as a whole. We are thankful for every new participant we reach – also beyond our borders and continent.
The highpoint is always the night of the covenant of love
Now let us move on to the actual programme for this event. Besides the fun and the active part of the programme, the more reflective part of this year’s Night of the Shrine will not be neglected. The liturgy team has worked very hard since last December to make this happen. At Holy Masses, and through spiritual offers and devotions, the faith should become an experienced reality. However, the spiritual highpoint is certainly the night of the covenant of love when all the youth and young adults gather on Saturday evening to celebrate their faith. The way you can live out your faith in the form of a poetry-slam is only one of the possible sources of inspiration to be found in the programme.
More
“It doesn’t matter whether you are in a sports club, orchestra, or doing a voluntary social year, whether you are electioneering or part of a high school group, school, profession, use Instagram or Facebook, belong to the MJF or Schoenstatt Young Men – with YOU there is more life, creativity, commitment, companionship, friendship, fun, fulfilment, encounter, movement, covenant of love ….
PRESENTING the Night of the Shrine 2017: With YOU more will happen – more input, live music, being a Christian, workshops, night culture, night of the covenant of love, mission!
Whoever wants to support us can find more information at www.nachtdesheiligtums.de, or ask Sebastian Roth (roth.wood184@gmail.com). Unfortunately our home page is only available in German, but, who knows, perhaps someone will become interested and be prepared to work with us, as well as to make our home page more international. At any rate we are happy to welcome the first participant from South America who has already booked in for the coming Night of the Shrine.
Original: German, August2, 2017. Translation: Mary Cole, Manchester, UK
