The Madonna at the edge of the forest

GERMANY, Renate Siebenkäs / Maria Fischer • 

When I learned about storytelling and oral history in my communication studies and then was amazed to discover how Father’s communication concept is based on telling real stories, I had to think of the “story of the crooked apple tree” and the “story of the little leg” with which my grandfather used to tell us children about the world, events, and even such difficult realities as physical disabilities; exciting, personal, touching, and real. —

Good journalism does not necessarily require events or interviews. There is a story in everything. It just needs to be told and rediscovered in the telling. Like the story of the Madonna at the edge of the forest, which played a role in an article on schoenstatt.org a few years ago. On Christmas Day, the Madonna at the edge of the forest walked into a conversation with Renate Siebenkäs about the effects of her article about Saint Joseph…and here it is, the story that only Renate Siebenkäs can tell.

“Here once stood a Mother of God”

When Schoenstatt priest Andreas Hornung took over our pastoral area and I took over the office of church administrator, it was a great concern of my predecessor to show us both the “parish forest”. It is only one hectare in size, but it was a prerequisite for a parish priest to settle in Stöckach in 1427.

The three of us walked the boundaries, which Willi Singer showed us. Willi Singer was church administrator for about 40 years. Under his time a lot was built up.

At a place on the edge of the forest in the direction of Igensdorf, he said in passing, “Here once stood a Mother of God!” (Possibly this Mother of God was stolen?) and strode on without talking more about it.

This sentence worked in me. What once stood can rise again.

In the meantime, I had become enamored with the Schoenstatt Mother of God (Pilgrim Mother) through our Schoenstatt priest.

During our vacation in the Bavarian Forest, my husband and I looked for examples of how the MTA picture that Fr. Hornung had bought in Schoenstatt in the meantime could best be designed as a wayside shrine. Doubts arose as to whether such a picture would not be broken very quickly by the weather.

In touch with Maria

Without further ado, I tried to make this new task palatable to our diocesan architect, Stefan Bergmann, who was responsible for our properties. He “bit” and designed this wayside shrine based on the MTA picture in collaboration with our metal artist (he lives less than 100 m away from me as the crow flies), Stefan Vogel. All development processes could thus be followed very closely.

For a long time, Stefan Bergmann was looking for a name for this stele, until he decided on: “IN TOUCH WITH MARIA”.

Mr. Bergmann chose the location of the wayside shrine quite deliberately.

We walked along the forest path – about one hundred meters -, back again and at the tree trio the architect stopped. That would be the right location.

The group of trees reminded him of the crucifixion scene with Jesus. He wanted to integrate the wayside shrine directly into this group of trees. But Mr. Schuster from the contracted construction company said at that time that he would have no chance to set a foundation with 80 cm depth there. Therefore, closer to the forest path, close enough for the hikers to touch. In touch. Touchable.

“Do not worry…”

For the pedestal, the construction company Schuster of Igensdorf was commissioned. At the on-site meeting, I had no chance to signal the boss to please make the pedestal as cheaply as possible.

One Saturday my cell phone rang. Mr. Schuster (an evangelical Christian): “The pedestal is ready. It costs nothing!” I was speechless.

In the meantime, Mr. Schuster passed away quite suddenly, and I ask Our Lady to have chosen a special place for him in heaven.

By the way: nobody could have guessed that. This was the last work of the diocesan architect for our parish before he turned to a new employer. The work was done quietly – and was financed entirely by donations. The dedication took place on June 27, 2015.

The Snow Queen

And now she is here. And she walks into conversations and articles on schoenstatt.org and inspires thoughts and prayers and wishes. For example, when the snow falls in such a way that Mary becomes the Snow Queen.

I like to look at this photo of the “Snow Queen”. It opens the view for many interpretations.

In this representation of the MTA image, the central position of the motherly tender hands, close to her heavenly heart, comes into its own uniquely.

Mary virtually invites me to unload my whole self with my joy and enthusiasm, my weaknesses, and mistakes, all my hardships and disappointments, my despair to HER.

All my junk ends up behind HER via her son.

She covers everything with her sea of grace. Snowflake for snowflake enchant the whole ballast in bright shining white. The golden leaves give me courage, confidence, and strength to go my way at the hand of the Mother with great joy, confidence, satisfaction, new impulses.

The signpost on the left tree shows me how to go on. The tree on the right obviously bravely bears its great injury….

I like to stay with her at this place of strength and grace at the edge of the forest.

In touch with Maria.

Meeting of the pilgrim circles at the wayside shrine

Original: German. Translation: Maria Fischer @schoenstatt.org