org. Father Heinrich Walter, Superior General of the Institute of the Schoenstatt Fathers, in a letter dated January 6 – the day of Epiphany in many regions of the world – shares the latest news on the future of the Original Shrine. We publish the letter – simultaneously in five languages and on both of our websites, Schoenstatt.org and schoenstatt2014.org – and ask you to share it with those who do not have access to the Internet.
January 6, 2012
Dear Schoenstatt Family
Many of you are waiting for news as to what is happening with the Original Shrine especially in this year of the ‘shrine current’. The relationship to the Original Shrine is the origin and the continual source of renewal of this current.
We are very thankful that last year the Community of the Pallottines, the owners of the Original Shrine, indicated that they wanted to hand over the responsibility for the shrine in the foreseeable future to Schoenstatt. At first there was even talk of the 1 January 2012.
Many discussions and negotiations took place during the course of the year concerning a usage-contract for the shrine, House St Marien and the Pilgrim Place. The Community of the Schoenstatt Fathers is from our side the negotiating partner and should also become the legal owner of the Original Shrine, when an acquisition takes place. A usage-contract is understood from Schoenstatt as the first step. The final aim is the acquisition of the Original Shrine and the adjoining pilgrim area.
We could thus far not reach sufficient consensus. For this reason, the status quo will remain as it has been thus far. In the course of this year we shall work in further discussions with the Provincial Council of the Pallottines on a usage-contract. The final decision-making competence lies, however, with their Provincial Assembly, which comes together once annually, and namely in October.
With all negotiations it is also about securing the interests of the Pallottines here in Vallendar. We are still in a process of working through our common history, which led to the separation between the Pallottines and Schoenstatt. We would like to prepare the step of taking–over the responsibility for the Original Shrine in such a way that the implementation for both sides will be with inner freedom and dignity. Consequently, we want to give ourselves the necessary time required.
I would like to thank all those from around the world who have accompanied these discussions with prayer and contributions and who will continue to prayer.
Our life in the power of the Holy Spirit in all aspects (Daughter-, House-, and Heart Shrine) will in this year be a good contribution for the process of clarification here in Schoenstatt. The phrase from the Founding Document “Prove me first that you truly love me” remains the condition for the vitality of our place of grace. Therefore, I refer to the initiatives within the scope of the Shrine Year, which are presented on www.schoenstatt2014.org. We are living in the time of preparation for our jubilee, which means the renewal of the roots from which we live. We sense a world-wide solidarity in the covenant of love. This solidarity becomes particularly clear in the joint concern of the Original Shrine.
With the sincere blessings on the Feast of the Epiphany. ,
Father Heinrich Walter`s letter (pdf)
The life of our Schoenstatt Family offers concrete proofs of a profound attachment and commitment to the Original Shrine, that our websites – www.schoenstatt.org, www.schoenstatt2014.org – reflect.
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A hotline to the Original Shrine: prayers, thanksgiving and capital of grace sent to the Original Shrine and offered in the Holy Mass “towards 2014” each Saturday
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News “around the Original Shrine” with testimonies of pilgrims and a series on the history of the Original Shrine
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The Holy Masses “towards 2014”, in the Original Shrine that, Saturday by Saturday, take us from one country to another where there is a presence of the Covenant of Love. During these Masses, all the countries that have the Covenant of Love are mentioned, whether they are countries with decades of Schoenstatt history or thousands of members, or countries where there is a single “Pilgrim MTA” with two or three people on fire with the flame of the Covenant of Love. New names appear which show the daring and ingenuity of those who believe in the Blessed Mother’s universal service from the Shrines…The names surprise us, but they also make us feel the responsibility of Mary’s love for them” (Fr. José María García, Official Newsletter 2014). There are video clips and articles on each of these Masses that can be found on www.schoenstatt-tv.de.
