GERMANY, Georg Schick •
Man, has it really been 20 years?
In 1997 a Youth Festival took place at Liebfrauenhöhe with the motto: “You are valuable.” It was legendary; “JuFe” (Insider slang for youth festival), a motto that almost achieved eternal status, a signet (the “JUFe” figure), which is still a trend inside the Schoenstatt Movement years later… And all this happened twenty years ago? Yes.
The core team celebrated the 20th anniversary with a small family festival at Ulm-Harthausen. In 1997, the JuFe cloths were pulled up at the closing Mass ceremony in the Coronation Church at Liebfrauenhöhe. In addition to the original JuFe figure, a garland of these cloths greeted the core team and their families that all brought a lot of memories with them.
And there was a lot to admire: the legendary orange JuFe socks, T-shirts, stickers, bedding, documentation, letters, lists, photos…
20 Years ago…
A lot has changed in 20 Years…
It was even more astonishing for the children of the core team from 20 years ago. There were order confirmations on yellow fax paper (yes, those devices, that could send, receive, and print out info on paper from another location and machine… somehow so) in folders and a lot of prints on paper and film (but, that is what we did at the time …).
It was twenty years ago, and much has changed during this time, only the “You are valuable” motto remains unchanged.
There were many stories and memories to exchange, and the beautiful weather invited everyone to stay around the house playing, enjoying a barbecue and coffee.
And much is still current today
A film allowed everyone to be twenty years younger again and also gave their children an insight into what was going on at Liebfrauenhöhe in 1997.
After a group portrait in Harthausen, everyone celebrated a thanksgiving service based on the closing service of the JuFe’97 at the Branch Shrine in Soeflingen together with Pastor Gekle.
The anointing with oil was also not to be left out, but this time the family members anointed one another.
At the end of the service, the members of the core team made a video for all those who were unable to attend, especially for the Sisters of Mary at Liebfrauenhöhe who were and are a fundamental part of this youth festival.
“You are valuable” is as modern and up-to-date in 2017 as it was in 1997…even after 20 years…
Original German, 18 July 2017. Translated: Lindsay Burger Munich, Germany. Edited: Melissa Peña-Janknegt, Elgin, TX USA
