MEXICO, Eduardo Shelley. A living Father Kentenich, close, human but extraordinary… was what Fr. Angel Strada, postulator for the cause of beatification for Father Kentenich, shared with more than 200 persons of the Schoenstatt Family in Monterrey on Monday, December 7th.
The hymn “María de la Alianza” (Mary of the Covenant) filled the San Agustín Church as a moving prelude to the talk “Meeting Father Kentenich” where Fr. Angel Strada would share his experiences with our Father and Founder, and would explain the process of beatification and later canonization. He would also explain the progress of the procedure at the present time.
Paternity is life given unselfishly
The audience, absorbed in the words of Fr. Strada, forgot the hardness of the wooden benches and received the marvelous gift of a glimpse of Father Kentenich in the flesh, although not any less extraordinary.
It seemed to us that we were present at the first personal encounter of Fr. Strada with Father Kentenich in March of 1966. At that time, he was barely a seminarian. The second encounter, almost a year and a half later, manifested the intense paternal qualities of Father Kentenich. That paternity, understood as life given unselfishly to another, was experienced by Fr. Strada in a private meeting. Father Kentenich listened to him attentively for more than half an hour and gave him advice which would become prophetic.
In spite of the intense work rhythm which was generally for 18 hours per day, Father Kentenich always demonstrated profound interest in each person, in their necessities and problems, even if it were for a brief encounter and even if many years had gone by. As proof of this, Fr. Strada narrated how Father Kentenich recalled very well the visit in Milwaukee of a family from Argentina 9 years earlier. When asked how he could remember it, Father Kentenich responded with the words of the Good Shepherd: “I know mine, and mine know me.”
The long road to canonization
To understand the present situation of the process for canonization of Father Kentenich, which began in 1975, seven years after his death, Fr. Strada explained with great clarity the steps which must be followed: the reputation for sanctity, the process in the diocese (where the process actually is at the present time), and finally, a documented miracle.
The statistics which Fr. Strada shared in abundance are astounding. For example, there are 1,600,000 documented answered prayers from 87 countries and 29,000 catalogued documents which total more than 300,000 pages.
Father Kentenich, a life model
Fr. Strada ended his talk inviting us to collaborate with the cause for canonization of Father Kentenich through a greater knowledge of his life and pedagogy and asking for his miraculous intercession in difficult causes so that soon we may have a documented miracle which is necessary to elevate him to the honors of the altar.
Upon ending his talk, representatives from the Schoenstatt Diocesan Committee in Monterrey gave Fr. Strada some small mementos of Monterrey…..regional candies, a CD, and a beautiful tableau with pictures of the “María, camino al cielo” (Mary, the way to Heaven) Shrine and the Blessed Mother juxtaposed.
In conclusion, we all enjoyed fellowship with a sumptuous variety of foods and pastries and we all had the opportunity to speak directly with Fr. Strada.
Upon reaching the 100th anniversary of Father Kentenich’s ordination, the life experience which Fr. Strada shared with us brings us closer to Father Kentenich and motivates us to know him better and to take him as a life model. The Schoenstatt Family in Monterrey wants to have a sign of the presence of Father in the Shrine, so the Family has taken on the task of conquering (acquiring) a statue. This talk by Fr. Strada certainly helps us to begin the conquest (acquisition) with great enthusiasm.
Translation: Carlos Cantú, Schoenstatt Family Federation, La Feria, Texas USA 122109
