Madrid Tag

SPAIN, Juan Zaforas • It was November of 2014, shortly after the Schoenstatt Movement celebrated its Jubilee, when a group of Schoenstatters from Spain decided to seal a Covenant with Pope Francis, a Covenant we had been preparing for months. — Some were able to travel to Rome in October 2014, and read the prayer we had prepared at St. Peter’s.  Afterwards on November 1st of that same year, we celebrated the Covenant with the Pope at the Schoenstatt Shrine in Madrid.  Altogether we wrote a letter to Francis explainingRead More
SPAIN, Vicky Forn • At the beginning of 1999, we spoke with Fr. Carlos Padilla about the possibility of undertaking some kind of social work as Schoenstatters in Madrid. During his year as a seminarian, he had worked in Puente Alto in Santiago, Chile, in a very disadvantaged area where María Ayuda had a school, and he was enthused with the idea. In May 1999, on the occasion of the Golden Jubilee of the 31st of May, many of us were in Bellavista, and we learned more about the initiativesRead More
SPAIN, José Delgado-Iribarren • With many responsibilities to carry out, we have a very hectic life that often does not allow us to do other things that seem less urgent, but that would let us help others and make us feel much better. A couple of years ago, my professional situation has allowed me some time to do these things that in my case consist in helping disadvantaged people in our surroundings. It is about trying to follow Jesus’ call in the Gospel and to help our fellowman, anyone whoRead More
Dear readers and followers of schoenstatt.org, The purpose of this letter is to share with all of you some of our reflections and concerns, but above all to thank you for following us and giving meaning to what we do. Data collected over the last two years shows that schoensttat.org has more than 360,000 readers in 196 countries on five continents who have accessed almost 1,700,000 pages on the website in its five languages.  These are impressive figures that encourage all those who are behind the page: a large teamRead More
SPAIN, by Patricia Navas in Aleteia.org • Her marriage separation has transformed her into an expert on closing emotional wounds. In Spain, María Luisa Erhart has listened and accompanied separated married persons for more than ten years through a Catholic service that she leads, which bears the name of the place Jesus rested – Betania [Bethany]. In the following interview in Aleteia, she shares her healing process and confirms that “when God allows a separation, it is always for a greater good.” What common sufferings do separated people experience? NotRead More
Maria Fischer, Editorial board schoenstatt.org • In these very cold days, I think of and invite you to think of all of the people who live on the streets, suffering the cold and oftentimes indifference. Unfortunately, some have not survived. We pray for them and we ask the Lord to warm our hearts so that we may be able to help them. (Pope Francis, Angelus, Sunday 8 January 2017) “For January, we start with this,” shares Silvia Losada from Tucumán.  Just two days after the decision by the schoenstatt.org teamRead More
SPAIN, Maria Fischer  with material from the Bulletin of the Schoenstatt Movement of Madrid • “The Holy Door that we have crossed in this Jubilee has set us on the path of charity, which we are called to travel daily with fidelity and joy. It is the road of mercy, on which we meet so many of our brothers and sisters who reach for someone to take their hand and become a companion on the way… Two thousand years have passed, yet works of mercy continue to make God’s goodnessRead More
SPAIN, schoenstatt.org editorial team • Sunday 13 November. All over the world, the Holy Doors were closing. The Holy Year of Mercy is drawing to an end…this year has offered Christians countless opportunities for grace, the grace to be merciful like the Father, the grace of needing and being worthy of the Father’s mercy, the grace of a daily, personal, deep and real encounter with Jesus, in the poor, and the grace of showing him how we love him through our works of mercy towards his and our friends, theRead More
SPAIN, Elena Martín Otín • It has already been ten years since the birth of Betania Spain. What began as a small reality for four separated women, under the protection of its founder María Luisa Erhardt, and Fr. Gabriel García Serrano, our counselor, today is huge reality for more than 200 women integrated into twelve groups. They are united by the common factor of their marriage break-ups. Many of them are in the process of an ecclesial annulment of marriage, or they have resolved this; others are divorced or inRead More
ORIGINAL SHRINE, Fr. Bladimir Navarro Lorenzo • On 18 October, Fr. Bladimir Navarro Lorenzo, a Cuban priest of the Schoenstatt Federation of Diocesan Priests in Cuba, was in Schoenstatt. He con-celebrated the International Mass in the Pilgrims’ Church. At Fr. Egon M. Zillekens’ request, he shares his experience of those days. For me, Schoenstatt is a place of encounter and rest. It is clearly an encounter with the Blessed Mother, but at the same time in a special way with Fr. Kentenich. I arrived at the “beautiful place” with twoRead More