Gary Russell. Our website in England, www.schoenstatt.org.uk says Schoenstatt is a Movement of Christians. We aren’t traditional we aren’t progressive -we are Christians in a modern world. We want to help to build the Church we love. We want to support people in their faith, their hope and their love. We want to show that Christianity is more than a “decoration”. It is a way to live, a different quality of life. Schoenstatt trusts that Mary, the Mother of the Church will lead us and educate us in our Youth Work, our work with Adults, especially in our work with Families. But for me Schoenstatt is much more Schoenstatt means beautiful and it is a beautiful place.
The first time I became aware of Schoenstatt was around 18 years ago. Our Parish Priest had just retired. He had been at Mount Carmel since I was a young boy. One felt more spiritually aware whenever you came in contact with him. It was a shock to our Parish that he was retiring but we didn’t realise at that time that he was also seriously ill. We were told that the Schoenstatt Fathers would be taking over the Parish. We had never heard of them, we thought they were all Germans and looked forward to their coming with much trepidation after all it was the Germans that bombed our chippy.
In everyday life we ask our Mums for everything so why not do the same in faith and really include Mary
My faith during my teens was spasmodic to say the least. Although I had attended Church it was not regularly and more from a sense of duty than any real deep need. I attended a Catholic schools so had been around a Catholic ethos. My wife and I had stopped going to church in our late teens and early adult life. When I look back I can’t think of any particular reason for this I guess we just drifted away. We found our way back to Church in our early married life and we decided that if we were to have our Children christened Catholic then it would be our duty to them to bring them up with a Church background.
When the Schoenstatt Fathers came to Mount Carmel to take over they brought with them a brand new dynamic. They had such a vibrant and fresh way of preaching. It was still very traditional but much focused on the family and the parish becoming a family and that Mary needs to be part of everything you do. The simple idea that stuck with me was that in everyday life we ask our Mums for everything so why not do the same in faith and really include Mary.
What is it about Schoenstatt?
My wife and I like many of the Parishioners became very interested in finding out more about Schoenstatt and we had questions what did it really mean? What is this place that these Priests are talking about ? What is a capital of Grace? What is a Home Shrine? How can your home become a place where Mary lives? To help answer these we arranged a Parish trip to Schoenstatt and one cold wet July morning around 80 of us boarded a coach from Manchester and headed off for Germany.
What I found there changed my life. It changed my relationship to God in that I became more open to doing his work. I knew that Our Lady had never appeared in Schoenstatt, it was a place of pilgrimage as the grounds have been dedicated to her and she is invited to be there.
Doing a lot of small things…
I remember being on my own in the grounds by the original shrine and a nun, one of the Schoenstatt sisters walked by. I was unsure if she spoke English should I say hello or just nod. I decided on a polite nod. She looked up and gave a simple smile. When she smiled her face lit up her eyes opened for a glancing moment I felt that I knew Our Lady was in Schoenstatt. I had never felt anything so spiritual and moving in my life I felt as though Mary had touched me and I knew that I now had a calling. I did not know what Our Lady wanted me to do for her but as I look back at the many things I have now been involved with on her behalf. I realise that on that day my life changed.
I stopped being that person that took the odd collection at church to being fully active and doing my bit. I leant that it’s not just about doing the massive things its doing a lot of small things that have the biggest impact.
User friendly bits and pieces
We have come to Schoenstatt beliefs gradually. We have discovered their meaning on different levels at different times and have always been able to show our faith in these ideals in practical ways. We have found them enjoyable as though Mary and our Father have made them ‘user friendly’ almost. Our Home Shrine for instance is testament to our deep faith we share with Mary that her son will bring us to salvation. I have been involved in Schoenstatt now for around 18 years.
Schoenstatt means beautiful it’s a place the touches you inside and out in your heart and in your soul it is truly is a gift for the Mother of Christ
This is a testimony given by Gary Russell during the “Many Streams One River” event in London last November. This meeting was a chance to show in various ways how the movements are a gift at the service of the Church today. It was open to all, to those already belonging to a movement, as well as to those who would like to know more about these new charisms sent by the Holy Spirit.
