Towards 2014

March 2013 – Number 16

Dear Pilgrims
The last days have been filled with the news of our new Pope. The first from South America, the first in many ways – including his name – Francis – what program will reveal itself behind this name we have to see. But what is for sure – he knows Schoenstatt as the many pictures on schoesntatt.org witness and he is interested in what we have to offer.

It is what we have to offer that which has been occupying us in Team2014 over the last weeks. A conference of the responsibles for the ”Tents of Covenant Culture” met in Schoenstatt. It was great to see the breadth and depth of the projects already registered and to note how much is still to come. We are doing much more than gathering – we are connecting the projects and through this the vision of our Father and Founder is made more and more visible in lived examples of covenant culture. These “examples” of lived covenant we want to take to our new Pope and to the whole of the Church in pilgrimage from Schoenstatt 2014 to the Holy City – I have the feeling this pilgrimage to Rome will be a great event and significant for our future.

Those of you “in the know” – will have noticed there was no Mass in the Original Shrine on Saturday Morning “In covenant with…” – the Original Shrine is being painted – yes – renovation is a theme, renovation of our family, in the new Pope renovation of the Church.. let’s not forget what our world needs… Amazing what a new coat of paint can do…

Wishing every blessing for these last days of fasting and penance and a great celebration of Easter…

God Bless
Fr. Andrew

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Tents of Covenant Culture Meeting and Info

The program of the celebrations for 2014 comes from the life that streams forth from the Covenant of Love: it is the renewal of the Covenant, it is about the pilgrims with their faith and conviction and the testimony of their attachment to the Original Shrine. The program is the fruit of the covenant of love and the commitment to create a covenant culture in all of life realities. The apostolic projects from the five fields pointed out at the Conference 2014 are among these fruits of the Covenant of Love. These projects will inspire and enkindle life. They will be found in the “tents of covenant culture” and will be an essential part of the jubilee program that will take place between the 16th and 19th of October 2014. Those in charge of these tents were together from the 7th to the 10th of March at the Josef-Kentenich Hof in Hillscheid, just a few miles away from Schoenstatt.

Around 35 people met for an intense weekend during which many key aspects about the presentation of the projects were discussed and decided. The entire meeting was marked by an atmosphere of joy and openness and by the idea of “collaboration”. The members of each tent presented the advances of their work as well as questions that are being responded step by step. A certain longing for the jubilee celebration could be sensed behind each presentation.

Visiting the locations for the tents
The different teams where informed about the exact places where their tent would be located in October 2014. They all decided to “go in pilgrimage” to the place assigned to them. The recognition of the areas brought closer the reality of their projects presentation.

Family Tent – Covenant House
Youth Tent – Marienland
Pedagogy Tent – Marien School
Church Tent – Marienau
Society Tent – Pallotine University

These tents will also be present virtually on schoenstatt2014.org, will be visible in Schoenstatt during the year and we will be taking them to Rome.

The house of the Family Federation in Hillscheid offered all that was necessary for the successful development of the meetings. The participants came from 10 different nations, thus the equipment for simultaneous translation was needed. The technological assistance was of great help and a “pre-taste” of what next year’s celebration will be.

On Saturday evening everyone was invited to visit the Covenant House in Schoenstatt. During that time they were able to share the development of their projects with members of the General Presidium and the National Presidium of Germany. It was a very natural evening that ended with the blessing in the Original Shrine.

Looking ahead
Among the participants there was no doubt that the projects that will be presented in the tents are the gift that Schoenstatt has for the Church, for the Jubilee 2014 and beyond.

On Sunday all travelled again to Schoenstatt and celebrated Holy Mass in the Adoration Church. After the Mass, all gathered in the Founder Chapel where they renewed their commitment with Fr. Kentenich and asked for his blessing to continue with their given mission.

By the time the meeting was over there was already a concrete plan to continue on this pilgrim way: a close collaboration among the tent responsibles and the Team 2014. The next – and last – encounter will be February of the coming year.

If you have any questions – or have a project for our Tents – Contact us: info@schoenstatt2014.org – many of the projects can already be found on schoesntatt.org

Jubilee Year – Year of Covenant Culture

Our jubilee Year will open on 18th October 2013 at 8pm. Cardinal Rylko, from Rome, will preside the celebrations. The celebrations will be live on TV in 142 countries and the Internet througout the world through our collaboration with EWTN.

As with all the major celebrations of 2014 we have the possibility to follow the events on EWTN TV, internet, as well as through there apps for Android and iPhone, iPod and iPad. Please look for local access to these services under ewtn.com.

Rome Pilgrimage

As you can imagine, throughout the Schoenstatt World people are looking once again at the significance of the pilgrimage to Rome in 2014. The General Presidium posed the question during their pilgrimage to Milwaukee, as response to the Pilgrimage was slow. But events of the last weeks are a clear indication of the need for us to connect with the Church and offer the fruits of 100 year of apostolic activity and experience for the coming time.

Due to negotiations in Rome as to the form our Encounter with Pope Francis will take we have postponed the publication of the next InfoPack for the national resoponsibles to include updated information on the Rome Pilgrimage

On the 29th of March 2014 the Schoenstatt Family in Poland will meet for an annual pilgrimage to the national shrine of our Lady – Cestocowa. More than 1500 pilgrims will gather from all of Poland to celebrate the great Jubilee. It’s a pilgrimage that has taken place since 1985 the 100th Birthday of Fr. Kentenich. This years pilgrimage was marked with the visit by Fr. Andrew to invite us to the great Pilgrimage 2014 to Schoenstatt and Rome.

Preparations have been underway for a long time for our Jubilee celebrations. Our Pilgrimage on 29th March 2014 will be a highlight. Before that much is happening.

In October we will be holding a Symposium with leaders of the Church and Professors of the University of Warsaw as well as many others. There we will be looking at Schoenstatt as a Movement on the way to our Jubilee. For this event our pastoral projects that will be represented in the Tents of Covenant Culture in Schoenstatt and Rome will be present.

In the run up to 2014, 2 of our Shrines will celebrate there Silver Jubilee. Each of the three Shrines in Poland will offer a Sceptre and at the Fathers Shrine and Sceptre and Ord as we hand over our past and our future to the hands of Mary and await Grace2014 and the fruits of the way ahead.

There is much more happening in this year – a pilgrimage map  of places Fr. Kentenich visited in Poland – in four of the locations Kolobrzeg (Kolberg), Zabkowice (Frankenstein), Branice (Branitz), Pieniezno ( Mehlsack) a plaque will be placed. The youth is preparing a film entitled “Father”. The families have different things happening… We have prepared a statue of Fr. Kentenich that will wander around all the Shrines in this preparation time and remind us of the step he took and the covenant we want to celebrate together. There is much more…

See you in Schoenstatt in 2014

Fr. Arkardiusz