by Martin Schiffl, from www.schoenstatt.at
Eight Austrian couples received their diplomas signed by Bishop Klaus Küng, and Father Felix Stässle sent them forth. These eight couples are now trained as Kentenich educators. They have studied and applied the pedagogy of Father Joseph Kentenich in a two-year course of the Academy for Family Pedagogy in Vienna. They have applied this training in their own families, as well as in a project of their choice. The celebration’s guests manifested surprise and admiration, when the “instructors” presented their projects. Here and there an “oh” and ah” and “this would also be good for us” were heard.
“The initial idea of the Kentenich pedagogy courses of the Family Academy of Pedagogy was to train experts in education, who could transmit their “know how” to parents during talks and to seminarians,” Hertha and Martin Schiffl (directors of the course) clarified, at the beginning of the sending forth ceremony; they continued, “But through the participants’ projects, we have seen that Fr. Kentenich’s pedagogy can be used successfully in many other spheres of life: in the parish, in associations, businesses, in neighborhood support, in schools, and in medical offices.”
The projects that were presented stressed this affirmation: managing a business as a couple, childcare in one’s own home, courses for altar boys, rounds of dialogue for couples, church for children, neighborhood support, medical office, and scholastic support in elementary school. Many people were touched and enriched by hearing about these projects, according to Fr. Kentenich’s motto: “life enkindles life.”
Of course, the instructors are willing to share their experience with others. For more details about any of the projects summarized above, please send a brief email to: kontakt@akademie-familienpaedagogik.at [in German]
“Instructors” are available to present talks in Austria and perhaps beyond. More information at: www.erziehenmitfreude.at.
Source: www.schoenstatt.at
