Agathe Hug. In October 2011 we are setting out on the second year of preparation for Schoenstatt’s Centenary 2014. It would seem that Schoenstatt has always had a special affinity to the month of October. After all, the Founding Document of Old Schoenstatt was signed in October, although in 1143.
In his book, “The World History of a Shrine”, which was published by Patris Verlag, Schoenstatt, Fr Heinrich M. Hug summarised and documented his findings. These can also be found on the website www.urheiligtum.de, in both German and English. The Spanish translation is still not complete. Further details on the events given below can be found in the website or the book.
A Chronology of Events in the Original Shrine in October
4 October 1946
The Holy Spirit symbol put up in the shrine.
10 October 1567
The numbers of Sisters in the Convent had sunk to five choir Sisters and seven lay Sisters. The nuns transferred to Koblenz, to the Convent of St George in “Vogelsang” street. The original occupants of that house moved to another house. In 1803 the Convent was closed as a result of secularisation.
17 October 1946
The urns with the ashes of Fr Eise and Fr Reinisch were reinterred; two brown crosses were added to the two black crosses behind the shrine.
17 October 1946
Dedication of the first bells for the Adoration Church donated by the Young Men.
18 October 1914
After the prolonged holidays the first meeting took place of the Marian Sodality in the little chapel of St Michael. This first talk given by their Spiritual Director to about 54 Sodalists and Candidates only became known as the “Founding Document” ten years later.
18 October 1943
Dedication of the first daughter shrine as an exact replica of the Original Shrine in Nueva Helvetia, Uruguay.
18 October 1946
Solemn crowning of the MTA as Queen of the World.
18 October 1947
The Inscriptio Cross put up in the Original Shrine.
18 October 1949
A new altar stone is given to the shrine as a crowning gift by the Apostolate of the Sick.
18 October 1964
For the Golden Jubilee of the Original Shrine the Pallottine Fathers donate a new bell.
20 October 1948
The surroundings of the Heroes’ Graves are changed and a new Engling Stone is put up.
22 October 1951
Fr Kentenich celebrates his last Mass in Schoenstatt before leaving for exile.
24 October 1143
Date of the “Founding Document” of the Convent at Schoenstatt.
28 October 1919
In an official document from Rome, Fr Kolb, the Provincial Superior, placed the Old House and the shrine at the service of the Apostolic Federation in perpetuity. From this time onwards the Leader of the Federation took over responsibility for the administration of the shrine.
28 October 1928
Second burglary of the shrine: The tabernacle was broken open but the burglars were scared away. From then on the Blessed Sacrament was taken for the night into the Old House.
31 October 1938
The Youth in the College install a marble memorial tablet on the Engling Stone.
An amazingly ancient foundation
A survey of the various Marian places of pilgrimage shows that there are very few places of grace that can look back on such a long history of religious use, in one form or another, as the Original Shrine. Even though it was not continuously used as a place of prayer, but spent some time as a woodshed or toolshed for garden tools, it nevertheless has an incredibly ancient foundation.
1143 – Pope Innocent II had just died in Rome on 24 September and Pope Celestine II had been elected on 26 September. He governed the Church for only 5 months and 13 days, and was probably poisoned. It was the time of the Crusades and those in power strove to remain in power by every means, including intrigues, poison and murder. Church politics reflected what was going on in society as a whole.
The flourishing of religious life was followed by a decline – something we still find today. Methods may have changed, but wars and dissatisfaction, people who live their faith and others who betray their religion, will always be there in great variety.
From here … and perhaps even beyond
Also 1914 was an eventful year. The long planned war, which was actively willed by many, broke out in August. The First World War changed the world. New borders were drawn, new confederacies arose, power in the world was re-distributed. During all these changes the little plant that was Schoenstatt grew unnoticed. The world at large knew nothing of its beginning; not even the students were aware of what had taken place on 18 October. Only the founder knew, or hoped, that the tiny seed would one day become a mighty tree – a place of grace for our times and the coming centuries.
Our thoughts travel to all the countries where the MTA picture has found its way. Today it is the most widespread picture of Mary in the world. If anyone had told Fr Huggle this when he gave the picture for the shrine, he would have shaken his head in disbelief. But this story has to be left to March and April.
Translation: Mary Cole, Manchester, England
