mkf. Covenant Day in June! There are only 50 more 18th’s until the great day of graces, October 18, 2014! Day by day Schoenstatt is filling up with priests from all the priestly communities along with friends of the Movement on the eve of the great international conference of priests that will be celebrated between June 21st-23rd- about a week after the solemn closing for the Year of Priest and before the centenary of the ordination of Father Joseph Kentenich on July 8th of this year.
On June 20th, the German Schoenstatt Family will celebrate the centenary of the ordination of Father byholding a large celebration ahead of time. The milestone was the celebration of Holy Mass with Cardinal Claudio Hummes, Prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy, who came from Rome to honor the priestly life of our Father and Founder. He was the Archbishop of São Paulo, and almost two years ago, he was present at the Rome Shrine during the celebration of the 40th Anniversary of the Founder’s death. Before he left São Paulo, the Schoenstatt Family had given him a picture of the Blessed Mother, which he crowned as Queen of Priests.
Looking back at a truely blessed week in Rome
The large majority of priests who arrived and who continue to arrive at Schoenstatt during these days are also coming from Rome from a truly blessed week for the Church as well as for Schoenstatt. Many in the Schoenstatt Family were able to be witnesses of the great meetings of the Holy Father with the 17,000 priests via TV and Internet. It was the largest conference of priests celebrated in Rome and in the history of the Church. Part of the official program for the closing of the Year of Priests in Rome was the conference called “Priests Today” which was organized by the Focolare and Schoenstatt Movements’ priests. It was incredible to: hear the words of Father Kentenich before cardinals, bishops, and thousands of priests, to hear the song, “Like the Pelican,” sung and danced by the Focolare musical group, Gen Verde, knowing that it was inspired by a text of Father Kentenich, to hear the authentic and touching testimonies of Schoenstatt priests, and to see Schoenstatt bishops – Cardinal Errázuriz, Bishop Sanna… – who gave their testimony. No other Schoenstatt activity in Rome had been ever published in so many media outlets…or was the subject of many bishops conversations and many reporters. It was a daring and fruitful public step, perhaps the Schoenstatt’s largest within the Church. It was a gift worthy of the Father and Prophet on the eve of the centenary of his priestly ordination.
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Father Kentenich in the media
As a highlight precisely this June 18th, Koblenz’s regional newspaper published an entire page about Father Kentenich, and furthermore, it was excellent!
In gratitude for all of this, the Schoenstatt Family present at the place of origin went on pilgrimage on June 18 from early morning until night to the Original Shrine. During the early Mass at 7:15 a.m., Samuel and Corina Madrid Páez from Argentina, experienced the joy of the renewal of the Covenant of Love in the Original Shrine. They had been in Schoenstatt five years ago, and they were very happy to be here again and on the 18th! Throughout the day, the Blessed Mother was never alone, and at nine o’clock at night, after the German Movement’s Covenant Mass, all gathered around the Original Shrine to renew the Covenant of Love united to the Schoenstatt family in the Shrines and wayside shrines allover the world.
Champions
It could not be any other way, several youth and some not so young were seen with the t-shirts from their respective national soccer teams – especially the Mexicans and Argentineans who feel strong candidates for the world championship, the Germans, a little in mourning (and of course the Spanish…) Although the initiative of the Schoenstatt Family from Paraguay went further: 
“We invite everyone who wants to encourage our soccer team in a different way to watch the game at Tuparenda at 7:30 a.m. and to share the Eucharist at 9:20 a.m. We hope to contribute the love and giving of self of our players during the offertory and to pray for their families. After Mass at the Pilgrims’ House, we will go on pilgrimage to the Shrine for the final blessing and to burn the capital of grace.”
25th anniversary of John Pozzobon’s death
The 25th Anniversary of the death of John Pozzobon, who began the Schoenstatt Rosary Campaign, will be Sunday, June 27th. A simple and beautiful sign that is worthy to be mentioned: the German Girls’ and Boys’ Youth asked for the third International Auxiliary MTA Shrine for the weekend, when they will meet to prepare for MISSIONS, the second to be carried out in Germany!
Photoalbum June 18th in Schoenstatt
Note: Great part of the celebrations in Schoenstatt on June 20th will be transmitted
