Father Georg Egle,

Schoenstatt Institute Diocesan Priests

Diocesan director Rottenburg-Stuttgart

I am still filled with joy and awe from the anniversary of our Shrine on Mount Moriah. I am impressed to witness the vocation hours that our younger priests experience there. This is an impulse that I take into this October Week and beyond: vocation.

Rita Busch, Herxheim

Mothers' League

Father Emge's talk touched me personally in a very profound way and gave me a joy beyond words! It was like a final acknowledgement and confirmation of what I did all the years. I have waited for this for a long time and it was a painstaking waiting at times. Often I was told that I would not do enough for Schoenstatt when I worked at the gas station, on the telephone line for pregnant women in need or now with "Child Protection", an initiative that tries to work for children being protected from violence and abuse. What Martin Emge described is what I did and what I experienced. I made contacts when I worked at the gas station, and sometimes I could pass on invitations; with the pregnant women in need and the Child Protection I met persons I would neither know nor meet otherwise. And they know that Schoenstatt is the source of my work. I feel very much encouraged to go on.

Matthias Platzer

Schoenstatt Boys' Youth

Well, now I am studying mathematics, theology, and sports at the university. We are some Schoenstatters there and plan to found a Schoenstatt circle. Some thought to also present Schoenstatt at the university, but I thought only the very religious one, those who study theology, would come. Now I changed my mind. I think we should reach out to many more and to widen the circle…

Sr. Mirja Hülshorst, Borken

Schoenstatt Sister of Mary

I think we need to more work on a modern, simple, attractive language. That's the homework I take from this morning. What Father Emge said is "ours", is pure Schoenstatt.

Gertrud Öchsle, Spaichingen

Women's League

Indeed, we must and can change the way how we work! For our Schoenstatt Center in Aulendorf we need a "business card", as they have in Bamberg. And I also think, so many hikers, and patients from the rehabilitation centers walk by our Shrine and Center. We should offer a Sunday afternoon coffee time as they do in Bamberg. I'd be ready for Sunday afternoon talks!

Michael Schulte, Oberhausen

Federation of Families

At first the many English words bothered me!!! Later I thought a bit less negative on these words, we need to know the language of our time. For our Schoenstatt Center in Essen we need a business card like the one from Bamberg, it is excellent! We have our brochure, but that needs to be complemented by a business card. Then, the Center needs to get internet access in order to maintain the communication with the filiations. A Center cannot pretend to be a "central junction" of a network when nobody can reach it and it can't reach anybody.

I liked the charming way of telling us what we have to change! On seminars, this is often said in a very hard way. He does not come from outside and teaches us what we have to change, he is "ours". He does not rally for a theory or project but shares experiences backed up by life. From person to person – that was one of the basic ideas of the talk and that is what he did.

Father Rudolf Liebig

Schoenstatt Priests' Federation

I had liked to stand up and ask some of those who shared to tell me more details, for example when the boys spoke about the camps. We have such a rich experience with the camps, I would have liked to share my own experiences also! I think that we could offer this style of youth work to the church. I had liked to be able to talk with them. We need to work more with our Schoenstatt pedagogy. We could share so much and offer our rich to the church, to the parishes. With one or the other statement I was not so sure why it was given, but generally I think this was a good idea and has incited much life. I liked the way how the boys work with the Shrine during Camp. They could sure have shared so much more!