Brief News from Schoenstatt
October / November 2000
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24.9.2000: Diözesanwallfahrt aus Limburg
mit Bischof Kamphaus |
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1.10.2000: Trier
diocesan pilgrimage, with Auxiliary Bishop Dr. Felix Genn
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Schoenstatt
Girls' Youth from the Trier diocese contributed songs |
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Foto: PressOffice Schoenstatt, mkf © 2000 |
Schoenstatt Girls' Youth: You Are My Living Crown. At their meeting on the first weekend in October, the leaders of the German Girls' Youth decided on the motto for the new year. It is – no surprise – the motto of the International Meeting in August, "You Are My Living Crown." The photo of the living crown - formed by over 900 girls participating in the International Meeting – together with the motto "You are my living crown" in Father Kentenich's handwriting, will lead the girls through the next year. A festive dinner in the Sayn Castle was a surprise gift for all their efforts in preparing for the International Meeting.
New Book about the mission of the Blessed Mother. Mid-October, a new book was issued with selected sayings of Father Kentenich, many of them published for the first time, "With Mary into the New Millennium." It is the last book in the series of editions following the years of preparation for the Holy Year. The Schoenstatt Movements in several countries decided to live the first year of the new millennium as a "Year With Mary."
Limburg Diocesan Pilgrimage with Bishop Kamphaus. Approximately 1,000 persons from the Limburg Diocese joined a pilgrimage to Schoenstatt on September 24, 2000. For the first time, Bishop Franz Kamphaus of Limburg accompanied the pilgrimage. He celebrated Holy Mass in the Pilgrims' Church with the group. From Schoenstatt, he drove to the opening of the fall meeting of the German Bishops' Conference. The beautiful fall weather of that day added to the joyful atmosphere of this pilgrimage.
Trier Diocesan Pilgrimage. On October 1, 2000, approximately 450 pilgrims came to Schoenstatt from the Trier Diocese. As the feast of Thanksgiving was celebrated on that Sunday, the place before the altar of the Pilgrims' Church was decorated with pumpkins, vegetables, apples, nuts, and shafts of wheat. Auxiliary Bishop Dr. Felix Genn spoke about Mary's "Fiat" in the Annunciation. Her unconditional "Yes" he said was the essential message of her life; Christian life would depend on a trustworthy and sincere "yes" – in marriage, family life, professional life, and in the church. Mary could help us with such a "yes." A choir from Heiligenstadt, Eastern Germany, provided the songs for the festive Holy Mass in the Pilgrims' Church. The Schoenstatt Girls' Youth actively participated, contributing a meditative dance and songs. The girls also brought the gifts for the offering. In the afternoon, the pilgrims went in procession to the Original Shrine, where the "network of Shrines" was the focus of their Covenant celebration.
Families from Chile in Schoenstatt. On their way to the Third World Meeting of Families in Rome, several groups of Schoenstatt families from Chile came to Schoenstatt; they stayed in the Covenant House and in House Sonnenau for a couple of days. Tours of Schoenstatt, prayer times in the Original Shrine and in the different Shrines throughout Schoenstatt, a tour of the Father Kentenich House, and a private time at the tomb of Father Kentenich were included in their program.
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Pilgrims
from Argentina by the Original Shrine |
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Never without
their blue jacket: "Schoenstatt Argentina" |
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Foto: PressOffice Schoenstatt, mkf © 2000 |
Schoenstatt Members from Argentina Meeting. On October 3, a group of pilgrims from Argentina arrived in Schoenstatt – easy to identify as they all proudly wore blue jackets with "Schoenstatt Argentina" written on them. On the day of Joseph Engling's death, October 4, their first full day in Schoenstatt, they visited the Original Shrine and prayed at the memorial of this young man who gave his life for Schoenstatt during World War I. On Saturday, a student from Argentina studying in Freiburg, Germany, and her German friend came to Schoenstatt to be there for the dedication of the third millennium to Mary. With their backpacks, the two young women first went to the Original Shrine, from there to the Pilgerheim. "There we met the pilgrims from Argentina! More than 20 people with their blue jackets and the words 'Schoenstatt Argentina', singing and dancing with joy!!! They immediately invited us to join them without knowing that I am Argentinean. When the dance ended, I spoke with one of the Sisters – only to find out that she knows my mother who had visited in Florencio Varela just the week before!" The pilgrims from Argentina invited the two friends to join them for the weekend. The group visited the Shrines in Schoenstatt. "We were part of a prayerful group," said the student from Argentina. "We prayed the rosary with them, and what impressed me very much were the home shrines they had brought along. We met with them for common prayer again; it was beautiful." M.V.V.
Vallendar Municipal Council Members Visiting Schoenstatt. On October 31, twelve members of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) municipal council faction had an appointment with members of the Schoenstatt Press Office. The politicians asked for more information about Schoenstatt. They were impressed to learn about the number of Schoenstatt Shrines in the world and the large number pilgrims who come from many countries to visit Schoenstatt. Many questions about Schoenstatt's structure, history, and spirituality were asked. Harold Fuchs, the head of the CDU's faction, expressed his gratitude to the Schoenstatt Press Office for offering better possibilities of contact and information, especially for the local area. Future meetings are planned.
"Schoenstatt - A Biblical Movement" - Reading Father Kentenich's texts. Nov 3 - 5, 2000, a group of 25 young people met in the Youth Center Marienberg, Schönstatt to study texts written by Father Kentenich in 1935, 1942 and 1967. The weekend was entitled "Schönstatt - A Biblical Movement". Father Kentenich left no doubt about the immense significance of Holy Scripture for Schönstatt, for every spiritual community and movement and eventually for every Christian. According to Father Kentenich, the participants learned, God is the source of Scripture; he is the subject and also the goal of Scripture, its destination. By reading Scripture again and again, people should gradually become more and more similar to the things they read and enter into them with their whole life until their life is their faith, not their faith just a part of their life! And then, perhaps, those around them might catch something of this atmosphere. That the weather was beautiful, the atmosphere friendly, the people nice above comparison, and the food excellent should also be mentioned! Angela Roemelt
Leaders' Conventions. The Schoenstatt Women's League had their annual Leaders Convention November 10 - 16, 2000, in House Marienland. They focused on the Shrine as Schoenstatt's gift for the new millennium. On the following weekend, the leaders of the Academic Women met for their annual convention.
English edition: Joan Biemert, New Franken, Wisconsin, USA