Posted On 2009-09-09 In Original Shrine

Father Kentenich’s Love for Diversity – 90th Anniversary of the Conference at Horde

Presentation during the Congress of the Federations (Photo: Federation of Priests) - Photo: Zillekensmkf. It was an intense time, a time of many personal experiences, events and a time to obtain new understanding for the almost 400 members of the Apostolic Schoenstatt Federations of whom the last were returning to their home countries at the beginning of this week. On August 20, 1919, a group of youths founded the “Apostolic Federation” at Horde in the city of Dortmund. Upon this foundation, throughout the years, all of the communities of the Schoenstatt Work developed, not only the six Federations – of families, mothers, priests, single women, men, and the sick – but also the Institutes and the Apostolic Leagues. To commemorate this founding, the Schoenstatt Federations met in a congress in which they reflected on their own identity and on the preparation for the year 2014, the centennial year of Schoenstatt.

International Congress of the Federations -Photo: FischerWhat was Horde? What happened at Horde? More than 180 youths belonged to the Schoenstatt Marian Sodality and the external organization between 1914 and 1918. They were the creative nucleus of the budding Apostolic Schoenstatt Movement. Sixteen of them died in World War I, and at least 4 of them follwed immediately afterward as a consequence of the War. Once the War was ended, a good number of the students from the Schoenstatt Marian Sodality returned to Schoenstatt and continued their studies there. Others did not return to Schoenstatt because in the meantime they had decided not to be priests or to belong to the community of the Pallottine Fathers.

For those who wanted to continue being Schoenstatters, and especially for those “externs” who did not come from the seminary in Schoenstatt, the question arose if they should continue…..and in case of obtaining a positive response, how would they continue, taking into consideration that the external organization had fulfilled its original goal. Father Kentenich encouraged the initiative and personal responsibility. He maintained in the beginning a certain reserve with the insistent questions of the members who did not come from the seminary in Schoenstatt. At the Horde Conference in Dortmund, of the 24 participants – college students, high school students, theology students and seminarians – 16 were from Schoenstatt and 8 from the outside. They founded the Apostolic Federation with which “the external organization, a branch of the Schoenstatt Sodality of students (…..) had come forth from the earlier framework and (…..) now became the Apostolic Federation.” (MTA Magazine 5 1919/20, No. 1-3; 11)/p>

A true founding event

Presentation of the Mothers' Federation - Photo: ZillekensHorde is a true founding event: since then, Schoenstatt was no longer the Marian Sodality for the seminary students – although this continued to exist for a long time as part of the Schoenstatt Movement – from there came, in an independent form, the “Apostolic Federation” which defined as its true aim the apostolate and that it should form its members as apostles in all professions and associations. What remained and deepened was the centralization in the Valley of Schoenstatt and the designation of the Original Shrine which since then instead of “Chapel of the Sodality” was named “Shrine of the Federation” (cfr. MTA Magazine 6 [1920] No. ¾; 25). What also remained and deepened was contact with Father Kentenich as spiritual director whom the youths of Horde had experienced as “a manifestation of the great ideal of priestly paternity, a guide during the War years, a credible witness of what motivated us and lifted us up” (Testimony of Fr. Ernst in 1959).

First international congress: 90th anniversary of the Apostolic Federationd

The Father Symbol was present - Photo: FischerOn the occasion of the 90th anniversary of this event, for the first time, an international conference with representatives from all of the Federations took place. Before this conference, the General Chapter of the Family Federation took place; the Women’s Federation took the opportunity for leader formation, and the Mothers’ Federation had an international meeting beginning on August 14th with an enriching program. Participating were mothers from Germany, Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, South Africa, and Portugal. The international congress began with the celebration of the Covenant of Love in the afternoon of August 18th.

On the morning of August 19th, the different Federations presented their original mission with all their diversity, in the conference hall of the Adoration Church on Mt. Schoenstatt.

„“Unity and diversity. The tension which comes forth from both terms causes the majority to ask itself: How can we create unity? It seems to me that for our Founder, from the beginning, the other question was at least as interesting: How can we create diversity? The Schoenstatt Work, with its numerous Communities – groups, projects and interests – is this not proof that its aspiration for a living diversity is even greater than its aspiration for unity? (…..) At a time in which the Founder observed the tendency toward one unilateral culture, toward leveling out, toward mass production, depersonalization ….. from the beginning, he gave the greatest care to awaken, foster and cultivate the original, the personal, the plurality. On the other hand, he took care that all which sought unity did not quickly repress the original.” Holy Mass, August 19Fr. Ulrich Schafer encouraged in the homily of the Holy Mass celebrated afterward in the Adoration Church to “listen to one another mutually, to be interested in each other, to speak to one another, to look with confidence at what lives and grows in souls,” thus describing the way toward a “unity which is not mass production.” (Father Joseph Kentenich)

What is decisive in the Federation?

In the afternoon, the program was very intense: Fr. Rudolf Mosbach gave in his presentation, a panoramic view of the importance of Horde as the only founding act of the Schoenstatt Work from the organizational point of view from which all of the communities which make up Schoenstatt came forth. He analyzed the two basic conditions in all of the important acts of the Founder: reflexive clarity and the clear signs of Divine Providence for the opportune situation and through the persons who act as collaborators.

Mathilde ThoméIn view of the renewal of the spirit of Horde, it is valid to contemplate the history of the foundation of the Federation and to be conscious of the place and the importance it has as an elite community and a community of leaders. The latter in the sense of the responsibility as a life community committed with the Movement in general and with dynamic collaboration together in the apostolate.

Matilde Thomé from the Schoenstatt Womens’ Federation, shared with the participants her conversations with Father Kentenich in Milwaukee on the diverse questions on the mission and structure of the Federation and the work in common among them. A gift!

Ramón und Marité MariniMarité and Ramón Marini, recently elected leaders of the general council of the Family Federation, completed the afternoon with the presentation of a detail on the Covenant of Love medal: the inscription “Regnum Mariae,” Realm of Mary. Mary as Queen, affirmed the Marini, belongs to the origins of the Federation. The medal, as they presented it, based on an article in the MTA Magazine of February 1920, relates the Pauline thought of being an apostle (Caritas Christi urget nos) with instrumentality before the “Mother and Heavenly Queen” and the petition that she wants to establish herself in the “Schoenstatt Shrine” and attract us to her “from there, as favorite instruments for the realization of her mission in this era.”

The evening brought us together around a “mega cook-out” on the Father Kentenich Farm. On the morning of August 20th, there was the possibility to reflect on the abundance of what had been received in each community and to contribute the important acknowledgements in the plenary session which was somewhat difficult because of the translations which had to be made in two other languages, but which was important for the common experience and as preparation for the celebration in the afternoon.

Translation: Carlos Cantú Schoenstatt Family Federation La Feria, Texas USA 090709

  • All documents of the Congress that are available in English are in the{cms_selflink page=”current-texts” text=” Virtual Library of Current Texts”}
  • Photo album

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