MESSAGE OF POPE FRANCISCO • On November 11, in the Paul VI Audience Hall, the Holy Father Francis received in audience the participants in the Second International Meeting for Rectors and Collaborators of Shrines, organized by the Section for Fundamental Questions of Evangelization in the World of the Dicastery for Evangelization, under the theme: “The Shrine: House of Prayer. On the way to the Jubilee 2025”. — In the lists of shrines in general or Marian shrines in the world, Schoenstatt shrines are not found, although some of them –
Read More ITALY, www.sac.info • The Pallottine Family was happy to welcome the members of the General Presidency of the Schoenstatt Family for a Holy Eucharistic celebration at the altar of St. Vincent Pallotti, on 8th November 2023. — The Holy Mass was presided over by General Superior of the Secular Institute of the Schoenstatt Fathers, Fr. Alexandre Awi Mello. Fr. Alexandre Awi Mello was the Secretary of the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life from 2017 to 2022, and hence his presence was significant all the more for the members of
Read More WORLD DAY OF THE POOR, message of Pope Francis • “When speaking of the poor, it is easy to fall into rhetorical excess. It is also an insidious temptation to remain at the level of statistics and numbers. The poor are persons; they have faces, stories, hearts and souls. They are our brothers and sisters, with good points and bad, like all of us, and it is important to enter into a personal relation with each of them.,” we read in Pope Francis’ message. This message, at this time of
Read More HOLY LAND, Maria Fischer • “I carry your name to Bethlehem in the Holy Night”: what the Benedictine monks of the Abbey of Dormition in Jerusalem have been doing for many years on the Holy Night has a special touch this year. In this Christmas marked by hatred, violence, and unimaginable suffering, they will carry the names of people from many nations and languages to Bethlehem. — “We are witnessing in these days a violence against children, women and men that can hardly be expressed in words. In deed and
Read More SYNOD ON SYNODALITY, Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network • The Pope Video for the month of September, published some days ago and of course already online at schoenstatt.org, is a call to pray for the Synod as the Ordinary General Assembly takes place this month, in conjunction with World Mission Day. The synodal journey, Pope Francis remarks, is based on prayer and discernment. This synodal dimension is closely linked to the missionary vocation of the Church, for “mission is at the heart of the Church.” The Pope prays that the Church might
Read More ARGENTINA, Guillermo Ferreyra • Every year, the youth of the Archdiocese of San Miguel de Tucumán make a one-day pilgrimage that connects two shrines in nearby cities. — This year they chose our shrine “Garden of Mary” as their destination. Under the motto “By your hand we go, without hesitation”, more than 2000 young people from different parish groups, movements, and spiritual currents, accompanied by priests, seminarians and religious sisters, set out in the morning from the parish of Our Lady of Fatima. They began the first steps at 8
Read More GERMANY, Maria Fischer The plenary assembly of the German Bishops’ Conference today (September 26, 2023) elected the Bishop of Fulda, Bishop Dr. Michael Gerber, a member of the Institute of Schoenstatt Diocesan Priests, as its new vice-chairman. — Bishop Gerber succeeds Bishop emeritus Dr. Franz-Josef Bode, who retired a few months ago. Bishop Gerber first became auxiliary bishop in the archdiocese of Freiburg in 2013, and has been bishop of Fulda since 2019. In the German Bishops’ Conference, Bishop Gerber is also chairman of the Commission for Spiritual Vocations and
Read More PUERTO RICO, Maria Fischer • The current vicar general of San Juan and director of the Cursillos in Christianity, Father Tomás González González, was named this Friday morning, September 8, by Pope Francis as the new auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of San Juan. — According to a briefing received from Fr. Jose Luis Correa, the appointed bishop has made personal retreats at the Juana Diaz Shrine and in Milwaukee. May the Mother Thrice Admirable of Schoenstatt bless him in his new mission from these shrines. Tomás González González was
Read More POPE FRANCIS, Journey to Mongolia • As usual, in his catechesis at the Wednesday general audience following his return from an apostolic journey, Pope Francis retraced the most significant stages of the country he visited: Mongolia, with barely 2,000 Catholics. He stressed the need to widen the limits of our gaze, to widen our heart in order to understand each person, each culture. — “Thinking of the boundless and silent expanses of Mongolia, let us be stirred by the need to extend the confines of our gaze, please: broaden the
Read More SANT’ EGIDIO, press release and newsletter • From September 10 to 12, Berlin is preparing to host one of the most important international events dedicated to peace: the International Meeting “The Audacity of Peace”, three days of dialogue and prayer for peace of the world religions together with representatives of the world of politics and culture, promoted by the Community of Sant’Egidio. — In a world context marked by the sad resurgence of war in Europe and by dramatic conflicts in many parts of the world, in addition to the
Read More