Schoenstatt mothers from South Africa and Zimbabwe visiting Trier Schönstattmütter aus Südafrika und Zimbabwe beim Besuch in Trier

Pilgrims from New York came to Schoenstatt in July and had part of their program together with the group from South Africa, like the trip to Trier. Die Wallfahrer aus New York hatten einen Teil des Programms zusammen mit der Gruppe aus Südafrika - so auch den Besuch in Trier.

Part of each pilgrimage: recreational get-together, songs, sharing. Gehört zu jeder Wallfahrt dazu: Entspannung, Lieder, Austausch.

(mkf) South Africa, Zimbabwe, New York, Puerto Rico, Scotland - Schoenstatt was the goal of several Jubilee Year pilgrimages in the first half of July. Thirteen Schoenstatt mothers from South Africa and Zimbabwe came July 1 - 13 to pray in the Original Shrine and at the tomb of Father Kentenich, to visit the important places in Schoenstatt, to renew their Covenant of Love, and to share Schoenstatt experiences with others. "Schoenstatt is a bit of heaven on earth," responded one when asked what the 14 days spent in Schoenstatt meant for her.

"This is my third pilgrimage to Schoenstatt, Germany," shares another one on their last day. "This pilgrimage has been extremely fruitful for me because of the spirit in which we were received by everyone. Every talk and every exhibition was well run and the trips were efficiently presented. I felt the atmosphere was prayerful and spiritual. Father Kentenich's personality and his aims and mission are more real to me now." The Jubilee pilgrims arrived on a rainy day and had to cope with unusually cold and humid weather the whole time. They took it with a good sense of humor: "We just came from the South African winter and did not need to acclimatize. Germany's summer was only a little bit colder than our winter!" – "We felt so much at home," added a woman who came to Schoenstatt for the first time. "It was such a lovely welcome. This experience made Schoenstatt alive."

Spiritual Highlights

Prayer times in the Original Shrine and by Father Kentenich's tomb, as well as in other Schoenstatt shrines, were central parts of the program, as well as visits at Trier and at other places connected with Father Kentenich's life: Gymnich - the place of his birth; Dachau – the concentration camp where he was imprisoned 1942 - 1945; Mount Schoenstatt – his apartment in Schulungsheim. One day the group went to Koblenz-Metternich to learn more about Sr. Emilie Engel and to visit her tomb. "Being able to attend mass every day even though we did not bring a priest with us has been a real blessing for me as I cannot normally attend daily Mass," shared one mother. Others appreciated the quiet times in the shrines and house chapels. "To be able to slow down, to have time, to enjoy the scent of the flowers - that was special for me!"

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