Something to think about Category

SPAIN, Jesús Colina. Once again, Pope Francis has been selected “Man of the Year” by the media in 2014. In the second year of his pontificate, the recognition has been made by the Spanish Daily Newspaper ABC. “Throughout 2014, his figure has grown to the point of being profiled as a ‘Pope of the world’ and not only for Catholics, and in a much more brief time span than John Paul II,” explains ABC upon giving the reasons for his selection (CF. “Pope Francis, man of the Year”).Read More
Fr. José María García Sepúlveda. The “periphery” of man and his actual culture is the primary aim of the evangelization mission assumed by Holy Father Francis at the beginning of his pontificate, and with him, by the entire universal church.  It is a certainly surprising challenge, considering the level of tasks and problematic situations which the Church faces within herself and clearly made evident with  papal dimension on behalf of Holy Father Benedict XVI.Read More
IN A FEW WORDS, Fr. Joaquin Alliende. At the start of October, from every quarter one could hear: "Our Mother will surprise us with great gifts." And so it was.  In our Schoenstatt Land, we experienced that the "Home Song" is a tangible and prophetic reality.  Rome allowed us to feel that the Church-family is the way of the future.  It will demand of us a vital deepening of the attachment with the "paternal principle" of the People of God, the Holy Father.Read More
AUSTRIA, mda. “Our aim was to design a page for people who want to know: What is Schoenstatt actually all about?” That was Susi Mitter’s answer when she was asked for the idea behind the new design of the national internet page of the Schoenstatt Movement in Austria. The creative minds of those responsible for the page, Susi Mitter and Martin Schiffl, spent many hours in front of the monitor screen before the new page saw the light of day in the middle of November. Clear, alive and dynamic, withRead More
IN A FEW WORDS, Fr. Joaquín Alliende. The Latin word "rapiamur" means a decisive action and is almost violent. Christ is the one who has changed sin into grace. He is the Word of the creative Trinity. And we, together with all of creation, are creatures. We share a common task with creation: to make the Invisible visible, to attract the finite to the Infinite. In the Christmas liturgy, the preface speaks about 'changing' earth into heaven, using the Latin word "rapiamur." The sound of these three syllables sound likeRead More
IN A FEW WORDS, Fr. Joaquín Alliende. He knew death from a young age when his father died. As a widow, his mother struggled immensely to feed and educate her four children. At a very young age, he began his studies at the Pallottine minor seminary. He was one of the first sodalists to leave the valley in Schoenstatt to fight on the front. But tuberculosis got him before the bullets did. At this time, there is still no medicine for this fatal virus…he returned toRead More
ARGENTINA, Juan Ignacio Saravia/mda. A new application for Android cell phones is now available to welcome the 100 years of the Schoenstatt Apostolic Movement.  The application has been available since the 18th of September and it will accompany everyone who downloads it to their cell phones with varied activities until the 18th of October, to reinforce the missionary spirit and that of prayer in a totally special way, with the motto:  “Schoenstatt that sets forth”. The iOS version will be available in a couple of days.  “We have made thisRead More
UNITED STATES, Joe Yank. In this 100th year of the Covenant of Love we can be assured our dear Mother is searching for souls to be drawn heavenwards to the Father.  Our father and founder, her principle instrument in our Schoenstatt Family, has drawn all our hearts to her in the Shrine.  “Give me souls…” he prayed daily drawing all our souls to his Mother and Queen.  “Give me souls…” we can be assured he now prays that a great Covenant Culture will become the living, breathing life of theRead More
GERMANY, mda. "In our towns and villages there are courageous and shy people, missionaries or sleeping Christians. There are also many who are searching, even if they don't want to admit it. Each of us is called, each has been sent out. However, this does not mean that the place of this calling is the parish centre. It doesn't mean that its moment will necessarily take place in the comfort of a parish event. God's call can reach us just as well at the assembly line, the office, the supermarketRead More
IN A FEW WORDS, Fr. Joaquín Alliende. The Second Vatican Council encouraged us to abandon ancient burdens.  A specialist commission was set up in a particular country. Its job was to revise the texts of liturgical hymns and popular piety. The strictest of these experts was a renowned liturgist. He demanded, as an absolute, that the words "tender" and "sweet" be eliminated each time they appeared. Shortly afterwards, the liturgist went to live as a very strict solitary hermit in the desert. Four years later, he left the priesthood andRead More