ARGENTINA, Claudia Echenique/Tita Ríos • A new wayside shrine of Our Lady of Schoenstatt has been erected on the banks of the Paraná River in the town of Villa Urquiza, province of Entre Ríos. The initiative emerged from the Madrugadores of the region and was coordinated together with the Villa Urquiza City Hall for its construction. — On Saturday, June 4, Archbishop Juan Alberto Puiggari went to bless it and accompanied the group of the Madrugadores, several neighbors of the place, brothers, and sisters of the Shrine of La Loma,
Read More WORLD CLIMATE SUMMIT, Ulrich Grauert / Maria Fischer • Tuesday 9, 2021, Swiss Interholco AG has organized a side-event in Glasgow at the World Climate Summit with the intention to demonstrate the synergy between the Congolese state and private sector (FSC-certified timber industry) aimed at effectively maintaining a forest area whose inhabitants and biodiversity are sensitive to climate change. Interholco CEO Ulrich Grauert, Schoenstatt member and Founder of IKAF (International Kentenich Academy for entrepreneurs and leaders), shares his presentation with the users of schoenstatt.org. — In the context of World
Read More ARGENTINA, Pamela Pagalday / Maria Fischer • On this Covenant Day, September 18, Auxiliary Bishop Jorge Gonzalez enthroned in the Shrine of La Plata (the shrine under the shadow of the cathedral) the image of St. Peter, who reminds us to follow Christ and invites us to serve and love the Church, in harmony and covenant with Pope Francis who today is Peter among us. — The original image of St. Peter (given by the German family in 1965) was stolen during this pandemic. But, Bishop Jorge Gonzalez at the
Read More Global Catholic Climate Movement • During the recent Season of Creation, the Colombia chapter of the Global Catholic Climate Movement had an idea: How can we more broadly share the life-changing message of Laudato Si’, one of integral ecology, caring for our common home, and uniting with our sisters and brothers across the world to work against the climate crisis? Led by coordinator Lina Sedano Rodríguez, the Colombia chapter realized the best way was to make the encyclical more accessible. Share the encyclical by reading it aloud to thousands of
Read More IN THE SPIRIT OF LAUDATO SI’ • Together this week, Christians on six continents will start the annual celebration of prayer and action for our common home with three transformational events. — In a joint statement, the presidents of the CCEE and the CEC invite the faithful to take part in the Season of Creation, encouraging them to celebrate the richness of the Christian faith as an expression to protect our common home: From 1 September to 4 October, Christians all over the world celebrate the Season of Creation, as
Read More Interview with Ulrich Grauert, Switzerland, on Economy of Francesco • “I am one of the 2000 young people who were selected for The Economy of Francesco in Assisi,” Valentina Alarcón, an engineer from Chile, wrote to me in the chat of a video conference on social justice and the new social order, which was organized by a group of Chilean Schoenstatters motivated by the social thought of Joseph Kentenich. “We have to talk about this specifically”, I write back, “I know someone from Switzerland who is also present. I refer
Read More Pilar Andrade, Spain • The issue of environmentalism bothers a lot of people. They find the demonstrations in which thousands of people – especially young people – take to the streets demanding measures to prevent an environmental catastrophe, exaggerated. Greta Thünberg, in particular, is bothering people: how can a teenage brat teach government leaders lessons? In Spain, which is where I write from, many associate environmentalism with the extreme left, and therefore with a political ideology whose historical roots are not only alien, but even contradictory to some aspects of
Read More By Bettina Betzner, Germany • Dear Pope Francis, I would like to have a personal conversation with you about ‘Laudato Si’. I would like to seek your warm closeness, to look into your eyes, to be captured by your warm gaze, to be moved by your spiritual depth and your authenticity, to make your concern my concern… I had this experience when I saw the film “A Man of His Word” by Wim Wenders. — Meeting you has changed something in me. After your message in the film I
Read More COSTA RICA, Randall Barquero, Laudato Si Commission, Schoenstatt Costa Rica • The Schoenstatt Movement’s Laudato Si Commission in Costa Rica was formed in 2016, one year after the publication of Pope Francis’ encyclical. Within the context of the Laudato Si Week of the Universal Church (May 16th to 24th), we shared some general details about this commission and its work. — In 2016, the year after the publication of the Encyclical Laudato Si, the Schoenstatt Movement in Costa Rica committed to build its first branch shrine, and a few
Read More DILEXIT ECCLESIAM, editors, with material from www.laudatosiweek.org and the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Integral Development• We are in the midst of Laudato Si Week (May 16-24), called by Pope Francis in March of this year, to celebrate the five years of the publication. A week celebrated around the world with workshops, symposia, virtual prayers, supported by dioceses, media, movements and institutions around the world, and which will culminate on Sunday May 24th at noon with a time of collective prayer. Catholics around the world will be united spiritually because
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