PARAGUAY, Verónica Gutiérrez • For many schools in South America, the month of March signals the return to classes. Summer is over, and the days are growing cooler. In their own way, every country prepares in beginning a new school year, and Paraguay is no exception, but it is in a special case: Dequení. — The Dequení Foundation works to protect and care for vulnerable children. It was born out of a group of young Schoenstatt members that organized activities in the streets, and then it grew into a significant
Read More GERMANY, Renate Immler und Maria Fischer • Many did not believe in it, a few had doubts … and a few were not deterred, not even by the lack of money, empty information events and skepticism wherever one looked. If you dream about something very hard, then it’s almost there. And then it happens, and you know: it is right. Meanwhile, the Josef Kentenich School has existed for five years. Following the example of the Memhoelzer Conference, a very dynamic school conference held in November 2017. Along with parents, students,
Read More BURUNDI, Jean de Dieu • On Wednesday, 20 December, hundreds of children from “St. Michael the Archangel” School in Bujumbura went on pilgrimage to the Shrine of Monte Sion Gikingu. Teachers, parents and some guests accompanied them. It was the first time that they had come to the Shrine for Christmas. Original: German. 29 December 2017. Translation: Celina M. Garza, San Antonio, TX USA. Edited: Melissa Peña-Janknegt, Elgin, TX USA
Read More GERMANY, Renate Immler • For a long time it was just a dream, however the readers of schoenstatt.org already know what happens to the dreams of the Kentenich School in Kempten-Leubas. One day they come true, usually more quickly than we expected and often more fully than we could have imagined possible. It was a dream – to have a real stage for the Josef Kentenich School. Now it is there! It was financed by donations and built by volunteers. It was fittingly inaugurated by the Theater-AG with the play
Read More PARAGUAY, Andreza Ortigoza/Maria Fischer • A day in March at Dequení Central House in Fernando de la Mora and celebrating the start of classes and a few days after launching the updated institutional website, another step was taken in the area of communication by means of a communication training workshop for fifteen Dequení officials based on Fr. Joseph Kentenich’s proposal for the model of communication. Maria Fischer, who has a degree in social sciences and is editor-in-chief of schoenstatt.org, presented the workshop. She committed to spreading the news about Dequeni’s
Read More PARAGUAY, Maria Fischer with material from the bulletin of Fundación en Alianza • It is a work of mercy: Instruct the ignorant. In the catechesis of the general audience on 23 November, the first one after the closing of the Year of Mercy, Pope Francis said: “How many children suffer from lack of education? It is a condition of grave injustice which undermines the very dignity of the person. Without education, one easily falls prey to exploitation and various social disadvantages. The Church, over the course of centuries, has felt
Read More PARAGUAY, vía Dequeni.org.py • Within the framework of “Rebuild Hope” Campaign, the Dequení foundation held a groundbreaking ceremony to begin the work to improve “Costa Sosa” (Luque) and “Sacred Heart of Jesus and Mary (Ypané) community centers, with the support received from businesses and generous donors. These community centers suffered serious damage to the roof and walls due to deterioration from the constant storms during the past year; as a result, Dequení transferred their activities to temporary locations. Thus at the beginning of this year, the Foundation proposed to implement
Read More ECUADOR, Montse de Martínez • On the radiant morning of 8 November, 450 students from the Schools of the Charitable Society of Women from Guayaquil sealed their Covenant of Love with the Mother Thrice Admirable of Schoenstatt. It was the third consecutive year; 1,330 youths, full of joy and good resolutions for our heavenly Mother, have already consecrated themselves. This initiative emerged from a life group of the Family Branch “With Mary faithful pilgrims, as a family, toward the Father,” the women also belong to the Mothers’ Branch. Through Margarita
Read More SPAIN, Carlos Sainz de los Terreros With a festive Mass, on 18 October 2016, the tenth anniversary of the Mount Tabor School in Madrid was celebrated. This is an educational center created by families for the family. It offers education to students from 2 to 18 years of age. It is inspired by the pedagogy of Father Joseph Kentenich and develops a different form of education. Father Juan Barbudo presided at the Mass and concelebrating were: Fr. Jaime Vivancos, Fr. Carlos Padilla, Fr. José María García, the community of the
Read More PARAGUAY, Maria Fischer • “For me, Dequení is a blessing. Thanks for making it possible for me to be here.” Every spring, the children from Dequení usually greet supporters with messages like that of 9-year-old Sofia, inviting them to be joyful and for rebirth. This time, they surprised them during training at the Central House in Fernando de la Mora. Dequení is a blessing for thousands of Paraguayan children, children who come from families of limited resources. Children forced to drop out of school, or those who never see the
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