FACKELLAUF, Sarah-Leah Pimentel. In early 2014, the pilgrim group from Cape Town who would be attending the Jubilee celebrations in Schoenstatt watched a short video advertising Fackellauf 2014. Many of them were inspired by this idea that members of the International Boys Youth would run from Valle di Pompei — the place that first gave Fr. Kentenich the idea that the little abandoned chapel in Vallendar could be a home for the Blessed Mother and a place of grace — to Schoenstatt carrying a lit torch. This torch represents the “light of faith in the future” and is a “symbol of our internationality.”
It started with a simple idea
Two couples from the Family League who are part of the pilgrimage to Schoenstatt — Beryl/ Keith Stober and Beryl/Stephen Jacobs — were already planning their tour of Europe when they watched the video.
Shortly afterwards, they decided that they would travel to Valle de Pompei to witness the start of the Fackellauf and follow in the footsteps of the boys on their nine-day pilgrimage to Schoenstatt as part of their own spiritual preparation for this special time of joy and thanksgiving.
Here is their report of the sending out Mass from Valle de Pompei:
“It was an amazing send-off with the 4 of us being the only non-participants present. They thought at first that we were just part of the normal Italian visitors who did not leave to allow them the privacy of their own Mass. Nevertheless, Josef Tasch, one of the German runners, broke the ice by lending us his book during Mass. The bishop lit the torch during Mass and, as the church bells struck 12, off went the first runner.
Outside after Mass when they found out that we had come from South Africa just to see them off, the floodgate of friendship burst open.
One of the Argentinians, Santiago Goyeneche, asked Beryl [Stober] if he could run with her flag. So the South African flag will be in the mix [of flags] until it gets to Schoenstatt. We are now officially part of the run!
There is no doubt now that the Jubilee is going to be one hang of an event!”
“Everyone can light the torch”
In so many ways, in so many places, members of the Schoenstatt Family are meeting and discovering what they have in common, “overcoming all the barriers of nationality” (Prayer of the International, Heavenwards) as they make the physical or spiritual journey towards the Original Shrine.
This is just a taste of the encounters and conversations that we can expect in the coming days if we open our hearts to those we meet on this journey and take these experiences back home with us, allowing them to take root and come to life in us. In this way, we can all participate in the desire expressed by the Fackellauf runners, that “Everyone can light the torch” so that “big things [will] develop in the Church and the world!”
Related articles
Pope Francis lights the torch – and the flame is on the way to Schoenstatt
