INDIA, Egon M. Zillekens/mda. On the Blessed Mother’s feastday, 12 September 2013, the first course of candidates for the Priests’ Federation in India, and hence in Asia, set out on its way. There are eight diocesan priests between the ages of 33-54. Together with the Pilgrim Mother they travel to the peripheries. These are priests who in their parish in Northern India have a 100% attendance of all the Faithful at Holy Mass …, because all 28 come. These are priests who work with very ordinary people, and priests who occupy influential posts as Vicars General, or Secretaries to the Nuncio. These are priests who are not shy of asking visitors from Germany for money for suffering families – who are not Christians – in their parish. These are priests who, in the strength of the covenant of love, want to be shepherds of their people according to the heart of Pope Francis.
This first course of Federation Priests has become a reality thanks to the years of preparation by the Schoenstatt Fathers, particularly Fr Peter Locher and Fr Hans-Werner Unkel, but also Indian Fathers. Some of these priests were educated by the Fathers, and after leaving the community have remained attached to Schoenstatt, others have only known Schoenstatt for some years and are attached to the shrine. There are more priests who are interested, but because of their pastoral work, or the enormous distances, were unable to be present.
A Movement needs Diocesan Priests in the midst of the people and in the parishes
Schoenstatt in India is missionary work combined with social work. Priests and Sisters do this in their schools, with a Children’s Village, with training initiatives … There are pilgrims who visit the shrines regularly, and the Pilgrim Mother, as in so many other countries, is the pioneer and missionary. She goes where no Sister and no Priest could go. An organised Movement is growing in India, but very slowly. Without diocesan priests, Fr Kentenich was convinced, there can be no Movement. So the start of the Federation for Priests in India reaches far beyond this event.
Conference in Madurai
The conference at the start of the Candidature was held in the house and shrine of the Fathers in Madurai. Rector Zillekens, who is one of two acting Federation Curators elected by the German-Swiss territory of the Priests’ Federation, and who also represents the community in the General Presidium, accepted the candidates into the Candidature. Schoenstatt Father, Fr Celestine Irudayaraj, Rector of the Madurai Centre and local Movement priest, will accompany the new course.
Fr Alex, who has studied for the last two years in Schoenstatt, and Rector Zillekens travelled for two weeks, from 1-15 September, all over the country to visit interested priests who were unable to take part, as well as the new Bishop of Jhansi, who has a very positive attitude to Schoenstatt and the possibility of building a shrine in Northern India where there are very few Christians and a great deal of openness …
With an Eye on Asia and Africa
The warm-heartedness, hospitality and openness of the Indian priests and people in their parishes “immediately made me feel as I did in South America”, remarked Rector Zillekens. We felt at home. If you want to embrace the whole world, and really make Schoenstatt international, you have to have an eye on Africa and Asia. Here a young, dynamic and missionary Church is growing; here people are waiting for the creative missionary force of the covenant of love.
Prospects
After the 12 September, and the acceptance of the candidature course in the Dominican Republic in May this year, the worldwide Priests’ Federation at the present time has further candidature courses in Argentina, Chile and Germany, with a total of 50 candidates.
On the occasion of the Schoenstatt’s jubilee in 2014, the completion of the foundation of the international Priests’ Federation will take place. In order to prepare for this moment, delegates of the Priests’ Federation from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Bolivia, the Dominican Republic, India, Chad, Burundi, Czech Republic, Portugal, Switzerland and Germany will meet in November in Curitiba, Brazil, where a Federation Priest, Rafael Biernaski, is Auxiliary Bishop.
