Something to think about Category

Für Demokratie
Maria Fischer, Germany • Holocaust Memorial Day, January 27, 2024, a bright sunny winter day. As I drive to the nursing home, the home where my sister lives since some years, as I do every Saturday, I hear on the radio about the many demonstrations today against right-wing extremism, against xenophobia, against anti-Semitism, for an open, colorful, diverse democracy. And I regret that I didn’t take a few hours off work on January 22 to attend the demonstration in Bonn. Thousands were there. At the end we sang the OdeRead More
Año Santo 2025
By Matěj Pur, Czech Men`s League •  A few years ago, the Italian theologian, Alexandra von Teuffenbach, revealed to the whole world a view of Father Kentenich’s exile. All of Schoenstatt protested that she was too one-sided in her work, and everyone knew that it wasn’t that bad. Some months ago, the Chilean professor, and Doctor of philosophy of the Men’s Federation, Ignacio Serrano del Pozo, of the Universidad Andrés Bello, has given an answer, published (in Spanish) in Teología y Vida 64/2 (2023), p 195-221[1]. Father Kentenich comes out better, butRead More
Maria mujer mujeres
Bárbara de Franceschi, Spain • This morning, looking at you, Mary, I gave thanks for every woman. For all that you are, for your delicate purity, your capacity to love each and everyone, your gentle gaze and your arms holding the Child and in Him each one of us. — Today, surely, all women: the women of that time, wrapped in that long garment, who at home made their bread every day, waiting for their children who brought fresh fish that they themselves caught with their nets, who taught themRead More
abusos
ABUSE IN THE CHURCH, Roberto M. González •  At the beginning of March, Pope Francis presents us with a new video with this month’s prayer intention; he calls on the universal Church and each individual Christian to pray for victims of abuse. — What specifically is the Pope asking of us? He asks us not to be silent when abuse happens, in whatever form. Let us remember that there is not only sexual abuse, but also abuse of conscience, which is the beginning and symptom of other forms of abuse.Read More
Adviento
Fr. José Javier Arteaga – Schoenstatt Fathers • Dear brothers and sisters: The World Cup has begun and all the attention in the conversations and in the media revolves around the matches, the national team and whether we are positioned to win the cup. The big question is whether the national team is well prepared to win. But without making so much noise – like all transcendent things – this Sunday begins the season of Advent and a new liturgical year. The word advent comes from the Latin adventus andRead More
Federación de Familias
International Apostolic Schoenstatt Family Federation • Today, the 4th General Chapter of the International Apostolic Schoenstatt Family Federation has elected a new International Leadership for a 5-year term. — The leadership consists of the following couples: Silvina and Raúl Viñas, Argentina, international leader Margarita and Alcides González, Paraguay, 1st counselor couple, Maria and Stefan Pelz, Germany, 2nd counselor couple, Martha and Martin Rigler, Austria, 3rd counselor The following substitute couples were also elected: Małgorzata and Wojciech Szczeblewscy, Poland, first substitute couple, Luciana und Edso Mocelin, Brazil, second substitute couple, LenkaRead More
Ukraine
Bischof Dr. Michael Gerber, Fulda, Germany • We are deeply moved by the news we are currently receiving hourly from Eastern Europe, especially from Ukraine. Our solidarity goes out to those who are directly affected by the war, to those who have lost loved ones, to the injured, traumatized, to those who are on the run and face the ruins of their existence. — Against the backdrop of many years of friendly ties with the Church in Ukraine, especially with the diocese of Ivano-Frankivsk, very concrete descriptions of the dramasRead More
festgefahren
Stefan Becker, Boys’ Youth Trier, Germany • “But I must also express gratitude to those who are not yet alive, to those who are coming. Yes, what will Schoenstatt become if the coming generations are not seized and permeated by the same spirit as we are? Doesn’t this have to remain the law in the Family for all times: Each generation must conquer Schoenstatt anew.” This is a small part of an address by Father Kentenich. He said this on August 11, 1935, in the context of his Silver JubileeRead More
delante
Guillermo Parra, Chile • Allow me to comment on the many exchanges of ideas that have taken place between us regarding the mission and our founder. I would like to do so in the light of a phrase of the Christian philosopher Soren Kierkegaard that seems to me very accurate: “Although life can be understood looking backwards, it must be lived looking forward”. I believe that in this phrase there is a key to understand much of our present situation as Schoenstatt and also of our relationship with the foundingRead More
mein platz
Elke Karmann, Germany • When I read your article “I want everything …”, I thought: How beautiful that someone is writing what is also burning on the nails of many of us Schoenstatters. I, too, have followed with interest the German Synodal Way and the documents prepared for it, especially with regard to women, and I was able to follow most of the discussions and votes of the third plenary assembly of the Synodal Way – thanks to the Internet. As a Schoenstatter, I was especially pleased that Bishop GerberRead More