Brief News from Schoenstatt

January 8, 2001

• Schoenstatt:
  • Conference of Movement Leaders from seven Countries –
  • Presentation: Father Kentenich in Chile –
  • Founding of Austrian Father Kentenich Educational Institution
• Italy: Book on Mission of Mary according to Father Kentenich published by Focolor Movement
• Germany:
  • MTA on TV –
  • Music for Marriage;
• Paraguay: Visitof Virgin of Caacupé in Tuparenda –
• Brazil: Covenant of Love at the pace of the future Shrine –
• Burundi: Military Pilgrimage to the Shrine in Bujumbura

Bewegungsleiter-Tagung im Vaterhaus der Schönstatt-Patres auf Berg Sion in Vallendar / Schönstatt

Fotos: PressOffice Schoenstatt, hbre © 2000 - 2001

Schoenstatt

Conference of Movement Leaders from seven Countries.

The SchoenstattMovement Leaders of Germany, Paraguay, Poland, Chile, Argentina, Switzerland, and Brazil met with Father Sidney Fones on Mount Sion, December 8 -18, for planning, sharing and schooling. On one afternoon, an informational session was held about the work of PressOffice Schoenstatt. Ideas for co-operation regarding Internet work were discussed.

Folklor and Schoenstatt songs from Chile in the Father Kentenich House Chilenische Folklore und Schönstattlieder im Pater-Kentenich-Haus

Fotos: PressOffice Schoenstatt, mkf © 2000 - 2001

Father Kentenich in Chile.

On November 22, approximately 210 persons joined in a presentation in the Father Kentenich House, Mount Schoenstatt, about Father Kentenich's travels to Chile. Schoenstatt Fathers' students from Chile provided typical Chilean folk songs and Schoenstatt songs. The highlight was a video taped testimony given by a couple from Chile, now members of the Institute of Schoenstatt Families, about Father Kentenich's help when they went through a severe crisis in their marriage.

Eva Berger, Vienna: "Father Kentenich has a mission for the professional field." Eva Berger, Wien: "Pater Kentenich hat eine Sendung für die Arbeitswelt."

Erich Berger, Vienna, explaining the goals of the Father Kentenich Program Erich Berger, Wien, erläuterte die Ziele der Pater-Kentenich-Akademie

Fotos: PressOffice Schoenstatt, mkf © 2000 - 2001

Founding of Father Kentenich Educational Institute in Austria.

For a couple of years, Schoenstatt members from Austria have been thinking about an educational institute related to "Leadership in the Professional Field," and about a Spirituality of Work based on Father Kentenich's teachings. A discussion group under the title "Christian in the Workplace" started some years ago in Vienna. The actual founding of a Father Kentenich Program that, parallel to the Family Program, would train and educate committed Christians to make a difference in the workplace was to occur in Schoenstatt, Germany. Stefan Keznickl, Vienna, the Berger family, the Hirschmugl family, and Father Elmar Busse came to Schoenstatt at the beginning of December to initiate this idea of Father Kentenich Academic Study and Education and to place it into Father Kentenich's hands. The founding, therefore, occurred in the Founder Chapel. The group was also interested in getting to know about other Schoenstatt initiatives regarding the professional life, like the presentation on the Catholic Conference in Hamburg in June 2000, the courses in Christian Business Management in South Africa and other countries, and the annual workshop, "Leadership in Mutual Responsibility" in Germany.

Published by the Fokolar Movement - "The Mission of Mary" Von der Fokolarbewegung herausgegeben: "Maria - ihre Sendung"

Fotos: PressOffice Schoenstatt, mkf © 2000 - 2001

Italy

Book on the Mission of Mary according to Father Kentenich published by the Focolare Movement.

A book on the Mission of Mary that was written by Monsignor Dr. Peter Wolf in 1999 was translated into Italian and published by the Focolare Movement's publishing house Città Nuova Editrice. The cover has the MTA picture. A preface by Ignazio Sanna, an Italian member of the Schoenstatt Institute of Diocesan priessts, was added to the book. A only a few Schoenstatt books are available in Italian, this book, he says, provides a precious opportunity to both the growing Schoenstatt Movement of Italy and to the Church and Faithful of Italy, to gain additional access to the Marian Spirituality of Schoenstatt.

Germany

The MTA on TV.

Not only in Brazil but also in Germany the MTA – the Mother Thrice Admirable, Queen and Victress of Schoenstatt – is on TV each Tuesday late in the afternoon during a program aired by the ARD, the largest public TV company. In the series about a parish priest, a large MTA picture can be seen hanging in the entrance hall. The series, produced by Jutta Müller and Matthias Seelig and directed by Bernhard Gleim and Katja Lappe-Liebergestell, aims at teenagers as well as adults. How the MTA made it to the series has not yet been discovered!

Der Liebe Raum geben - CD von "Horizonte"

Music for Marriage - Band Horizonte (Horizons).

A booklet, "Der Liebe Raum geben" (Giving Room for Love), was written by Father Bruegger and members and friends of the Schoenstatt Family Movement as an encouragement and inspiration for couples to live their marriage joyfully and faithfully. Over 28,000 copies were sold in Germany. Ulrich and Ingeborg Walters (contact: ulrich.walters@t-online.de), Bernhard and Monika Arndt (contact: bernhardund monika.arndt@t-online.de), co-authors of this book, and members of the music band "Horizonte" (Horizons), have issued a CD with songs based on this booklet.

Paraguay

Visit of the Virgin of Caacupé in Tuparenda and Pilgrimage to Caácupé.

It is already tradition that the Virgin of Caacupé – Paraguay's national Marian Shrine – visits the Schoenstatt Shrine in Tuparenda on the Sunday after the October 18 celebration, which is the second largest pilgrimage in Paraguay. Hundreds of pilgrims welcomed the statue of the Virgin of Caacupé in the Shrine in Tuparenda on her visitation. A Schoenstatt member said, "Maria de Caacupé, the spiritual Mother of Paraguay, wants to tell all of her children that our Shrine, Tuparenda, is actually a 'House of God.'" On December 7 and 8, a foot pilgrimage took place from the Shrine in Tuparenda to Caacupé. Schoenstatt families served the pilgrims with juice and other refreshments. The Year's Motto of the Schoenstatt Movement in Paraguay is, "Mother, count on me. Beloved country, I am ready." Three objectives are in the center of the year's theme, honesty, readiness to serve the country and the church, and to become generous and holy leaders. Tuparenda, Revista del Movimiento Apostolico de Schoenstatt, Nov. 2000

Brazil

Covenant of Love at the Place of the Future Shrine.

In Jacarezinho, the Schoenstatt Movement is longing for a Shrine. On the place where their Shrine will be built, 130 co-ordinators of the Schoenstatt Pilgrim Shrine Campaign sealed their Covenant of Love on October 22, 2000. The dedication of the new Shrine in Salvador, Bahia, that was scheduled for November 18, 2000, had to be postponed to March 25, 2001 due to delays caused by heavy rains. The cornerstone for the Shrine "Tabor Matris Salvatoris" (Tabor of the Mother of the Redeemer) was laid on August 27, 2000. Tabor em páginas, Nov-Dec 2000

Burundi

Military Pilgrimage to the Shrine in Bujumbura.

On November 19, 2000, the last big pilgrimage to the Shrine in Bujumbura took place. More than 4,000 members of the Burundi Military came for a Holy Mass with Bishop Evariste. At the end of the Mass, an officer prayed the prayer to the Blessed Mother that the Bishops of Burundi had said in 1962, when they had crowned Mary Queen of Burundi on the occasion of Burundi's independence. Father Karl Widmer, of Bujumbura commented, "Obviously the military people feel that peace cannot be obtained with violence and weapons."

English edition: Joan Biemert, New Franken, Wisconsin, USA