CHILE, Editorial Team Schoenstatt.org •
José María Fuentes, member of the Men’s Federation in Chile, submitted a working document to schoenstatt.org prepared at the request of the National Presidency of Schoenstatt Chile. The document’s purpose was to encourage reflection on the 75th anniversary of the “31st of May.” Exactly, 31st of May 1949 – that important moment in the history of Schoenstatt that even after 75 years apparently resists being understood or communicated well (it is enough to ask to speak about the event and/or its message or importance without saying ’31st of May’ or ‘crusade’ to verify the difficulty). —
On that May 31, Fr. Kentenich placed on the altar of the Shrine in Bellavista the first part of the so-called Epistola Perlonga (Letter of May 31), a letter he was preparing to respond to the report of the apostolic visitation by Monsignor Bernhard Stein, auxiliary bishop of Trier, Germany, in February 1949.
A working instrument
The National Presidency of Schoenstatt of Chile commissioned a commission, composed of individuals from various communities, to draft a document that would integrate the prevailing socio-cultural realities and the recently available information about the history of Schoenstatt.
José Maria Fuentes, coordinator of the commission along with Father Patricio Moore, explains: “The text does not offer a novel interpretation of the 31st of May nor does it provide a definitive account of this event. Instead, it offers a framework for understanding and expression in view of the jubilee of the 75th anniversary of this historic event that animates the life of Schoenstatt today. It aims to serve as a working instrument to deepen and reflect on the milestone, the associated mission, and the celebration.
The objective is that the Schoenstatt communities can utilize this document to facilitate the collection and expression of reflections that enable them to elucidate the contemporary significance of this milestone. Consequently, it is structured around questions that prompt reflection.
The document’s structure considers the meaning of the celebration, Fr. Kentenich’s role within it, the socio-cultural realities to which the 31st of May illuminates today, and invitations to project responses to current trends.
It is an open document, with more questions than answers.”
This document may be of interest in the context of the Jubilee
“The intention is that it encourages reflection among Schoenstatters worldwide,” José María Fuentes commented. In reality, the document is not intended for Schoenstatters worldwide, as the commission does not offer it in translations and does not intend to do so or request them. However, it may be useful for Schoenstatters who are proficient in Spanish.
The editorial team of schoenstatt.org has decided to publish an article on this work of the Chilean Schoenstatt Movement. From our commitment to communication in the Kentenich style of communication of the MTA magazine, we are convinced that contributing an article on a document of reflection on this “milestone” can serve as a motivation for everyone to seek new ways of understanding and speaking about what it means today, what Father Kentenich did on that May 31st and about what the reality that surrounds us in Schoenstatt, in the Church and in our world demands of us in harmony with him and his actions.
