mda. The Original Shrine was his second home. As long as he could, he went there twice a day to pray. He took with him all the intentions that had been entrusted to him. A man with both feet on the ground of reality, a craftsman, an apostle through and through, and a convinced herald of the two basic forms of the lay apostolate: the profession as the field of apostolate – he liked to describe Mario Hiriart, for whom he had been Novice Master, as an example; and the apostolate exercised alongside one’s profession. Here he quoted Joao Pozzobon whom he accompanied for years as friend and spiritual guide. When a group of young women who were enthusiastic about the apostolate suggested changing their jobs to become nurses and parish workers, he told them: Don’t! If all of us are only apostles at work, what people need get’s left behind, and that is people who use their free time for others.
Hermann Arendes, a member of the Institute of the Schoenstatt Brothers of Mary, companion of Joao Pozzobon, the initiator of the Pilgrim Mother Movement, died early in the morning of 11 November. Hermann Arendes was born in 1925 and joined the Institute of the Schoenstatt Brothers of Mary in 1951. He was a skilled blacksmith and catechist, and for many years worked in Santa Maria, Brazil, to build up the Institute and work with men. He became the closest confidant and spiritual guide of Joao Pozzobon, the initiator of the Pilgrim Mother Movement.
At the large congresses in 1987 and 1989 in Santa Maria, at the start of the worldwide expansion of the Pilgrim Mother Movement, he became the person who was able to help those responsible to get to know Joao Pozzobon and his mission in a way hardly anyone else could. He painstakingly recorded all his conversations with Joao Pozzobon and his experiences with the Pilgrim Mother, and stood up for him when he had to clarify the authentic nature of the Pilgrim Mother Movement and the work of the Holy Spirit in Joao Pozzobon. He knew how much courage he had needed to continue with the Movement at a time when Church authorities forbade all Schoenstatt activities during the founder’s exile. He was able to explain vividly and attractively that the Pilgrim Mother was not simply a pastoral strategy, and even less a theory, but the fulfilment of Joao’s mission to which he had dedicated himself prudently, radically and consistently for the whole of his life. Hermann Arendes also knew how to describe how much suffering it occasioned Joao Pozzobon when leading Schoenstatters rejected him, and cast slurs on him and his work as “not really in Schoenstatt’s spirit”. Mr Aredes loved to talk about this even in advanced old age.
How he spoke about Joao Pozzobon
Mr Arendes related – and you could feel not only Joao Pozzobon’s suffering, but also his own:
“For him the most difficult time was from 1969 to 1973. Suddenly there were rumours of opposition to Pozzobon. All of a sudden it was said that he had had a mission for the time of the exile and when things were forbidden. With the return and freedom of Fr Kentenich, his mission had come to an end. After all, throughout the time of exile he was able to work freely, while others couldn’t. Now they could work again …
Another argument was that Mr Pozzobon had not been inspired by Schoenstatt for the Pilgrim Mother Movement, but by Fatima. (When he prayed the Rosary, he always ended every mystery with the prayer: O my Jesus, forgive us our sins …”).
So someone said, “Pozzobon isn’t a real Schoenstatter!”
A further argument was, “Pozzobon is doing this for himself, he wants to be in the limelight! Pozzobon is proud!” As we can well imagine, these accusations – which he also heard repeated – had an effect on his behaviour towards the Schoenstatt Family. Mr Pozzobon immediately noticed that something was not right, and also approached the people concerned. What really hurt him was that these accusations did not come from outside Schoenstatt; he would have been able to fight back. Instead they came from the Family he loved so much, and from the people who until then had promoted and supported him. Then this happened! After he died two notes were found among his papers:
‘I am working from dawn to dusk for Schoenstatt, and then they tell me it isn’t Schoenstatt!’ And, ‘The Pilgrim Mother is allowed to visit every family in Brazil, but not the Schoenstatt families!’ (…) The final event took place in 1973. Mr Pozzobon wanted to start with the Pilgrim Mother Movement in the diocese of Santa Cruz and was sent away by the people responsible for Schoenstatt, because it wasn’t appropriate. When he talked about it he wept and said, “Our own Movement has not opened the door to the Blessed Mother!” (…) How did he cope with all this? He himself said, “Genuine and true love overcomes all difficulties.” He remained silent. His only criticism was, “People don’t understand me!” (…) He really suffered at that time, he was an emotional man and cut to the quick by the injustice done to him. More than once, when we came to talk about this, he couldn’t keep back his tears. Nevertheless he did not lower his sights or acted in opposition. (…)
The way he mastered it personally: he bore with it, but did not bear a grudge; he forgave and worked for reconciliation. And that solved the problem. For us it isn’t important to throw stones. To reckon with it that such things happen, and also that one is maligned.”
In 1951 Fr Kentenich said, “Today it happens regularly. Someone is maligned and people turn round and behave as though nothing has happened!”
Thank you, Mr Arendes, thank you! And have a wonderful meeting with Joao Pozzobon.
