Agathe Hug. “Thar she blows!” – the new flag for 2014. With a moveable outrigger it can be seen from the front or the side, depending on the direction of the wind. It always shows itself parallel to its older sister (a flag in German is feminine!), the well-known Schoenstatt flag.
You could meditate on the behaviour of a flag in the wind. It symbolism is usually seen in a negative light: “He/she changes with every breeze!” However, it is also possible to give it a positive interpretation: a flag picks up every breeze, tests it and moves in such a way that the wind can fill it without tearing it apart. If it was firmly anchored, the flag would soon not be able to withstand the power of the wind. So the behaviour of the flag is movement – it picks up the currents of the wind and behaves in harmony with them. This brings us to the “Year of the Shrine Current”. It has arrived – it has been taken up and will be the subject of intense meditation in the year that lies ahead.
To return to the flag. On the morning of 15 October 2011 it was taken to the Original Shrine for Holy Mass and was blessed on its way to 2014. After the priest had left the shrine and the final hymn had been sung, those present asked for the flag to be opened up in the sanctuary so that its symbolism could be explained. Fr José María García gave the following explanation: The red area coming from above is the love that comes into the world; the green colour at the bottom grows towards this love through hope. In the centre is the Logo that has become well known in the meantime.
In front of the East wing of the Covenant Home
The Jubilee flag is the same size as the large Schoenstatt flag, so it is quite possible to hoist both at the same time.
This happened at 2 p.m. on 15 October 2011 in front of the East wing of the Covenant Home, where Team 2014 works and where a communications centre is being set up.
There wasn’t much publicity, but we needed some strong arms to set up the flag mast and flag on the fixture prepared for it. So as agreed the janitor, as the “handyman with the main responsibility”, arrived along with for volunteers working for the Schoenstatt Fathers, as well as Sr M. Luciane Machens and Fr José María García, and a film and photo team from schoenstatt-tv.
A photo for the history books
Big discussion: Must the flag be hoisted on the outrigger in this direction or the other? Why is a tie for attaching it not there? Discovery: The new flag has four tie to attach it, while the Schoenstatt flag only has three, and the people who delivered the flagpoles only reckoned with three. So one tie was missing. While the discussion was still raging, the camera crew almost missed the moment when the 2014 flag was hoisted. Actually the brilliant October sunshine meant that it was almost impossible to see the flag on the screen. In the end a provisional solution was found for attaching the flag, so the flagpole and flag could be put up.
At the end a group photo was taken to document who was present at this memorable occasion (because often enough such a documentation of events in Schoenstatt are simply not there), then Sr M. Luciane gave everyone a small gift – which is always gladly accepted. Since the doors to the house were open, the volunteers with Fr José María went to have a look at the house. The photographic team had already viewed the new offices and documented them for posterity.
A happy new year!
So Schoenstatt prepared itself on 15 October for the start of the new year, because in Schoenstatt new year’s eve always starts on 17 October, and the new year on 18th. On 17th schoenstatt-tv will show a survey of the past year as a preparation for the approaching new year, at the end of which our Founder will wish everyone a happy new year – you are all invited to watch the film yourselves.
Translation: Mary Cole, Manchester, England
