General Presidium – Fr. Heinrich Walter. Dear Schoenstatt Family, We experienced our pilgrimage to Milwaukee as a great gift. We interpreted the events that took place around the Original Shrine at the same time as the unmistakable voice of God speaking to us about our responsibility for the whole of Schoenstatt. The many reactions from various countries gave us an insight into the pain caused by the news about the Original Shrine.
Schoenstatt International
General Presidium
Message from Milwaukee
Vallendar, Schoenstatt, 27 February 2013
Dear Schoenstatt Family,
We experienced our pilgrimage to Milwaukee as a great gift. We interpreted the events that took place around the Original Shrine at the same time as the unmistakable voice of God speaking to us about our responsibility for the whole of Schoenstatt. The many reactions from various countries gave us an insight into the pain caused by the news about the Original Shrine.
After what began as a positive discussion about the Original Shrine when we moved closer to each other, the negotiations have taken an unexpected turn. In this situation, when we experience our powerlessness and helplessness, we rely on the presence of the Blessed Mother in the shrine since 18 October 1914. We believe in the offer of a jubilee grace. Behind the discussions with the Pallottines we see God’s guidance, but we cannot yet recognise which steps have to be taken. So we remain open for all the signs of God’s guidance and look carefully for possibilities for negotiation. We will inform you opportunely of further developments.
Above all we are convinced that the central statements of the Founding Document apply to this new situation. The Blessed Mother is challenging us to make our contributions to the capital of grace. She will then glorify herself and personally bring about the solution to the questions surrounding our Original Shrine when the time has come for it, just as she ended our Father and Founder’s time of exile.
In addition we understand the present situation as a challenge to bear witness to the fruitfulness of the shrine. Our pilgrimage to the Original Shrine from every continent in 2014 thus takes on even greater importance. It is a sign of gratitude for all we have received all over the world through the covenant of love. Our pilgrimage is our answer to the invitation our Blessed Mother has personally made to us. She is waiting for us. She wants to give us her gifts of being at home, of transformation and a mission. She wants as many of us as possible to gather from all cultures and languages as a united Family at the Original Shrine.
While we were in Milwaukee we got to know our Father and Founder in a new way. We became deeply aware that the shrine and our Father go hand in hand. We were led to a better understanding of Fr Kentenich’s time of exile and a deepened faith in him and his charism. With amazement and gratitude we sensed how he matured as a perfect instrument of the Blessed Mother and son of the Church.
At the same time we became aware that we may still have a long way to go before the Church fully recognises his lived charism. Our trusting prayer for a miracle will hasten the process of his beatification!
At the end of our pilgrimage we entrusted our concerns for the Original Shrine and the process of beatification of our Father and Founder to the co-responsibility of our Blessed Mother in an act of trust.
With deepened awareness we again accepted the task as the Presidium to unite the Family in the charism of our Father and Founder, and to strengthen our family-like co-operation.
United in our Father and Founder,
P. Heinrich Walter
pp. the General Presidium
