January 20, 2002: From the Father Kentenich House, all walked in silence to the Adoration Church. 20. Januar 2002: Vom Pater-Kentenich-Haus aus gingen alle schweigend zur Anbetungskirche

Monsignor Hermann Zimmerer, Director General of the Schoenstatt Sisters, gave the sermon. Die Festpredigt hielt Monsignore Hermann Zimmerer, Generaldirektor der Marienschwestern

Festive Holy Mass in the Adoration Church with concelebrants from all Schoenstatt Priests' Communities Festgottesdienst in der Anbetungskirche mit Konzelebranten aus allen Schönstätter Priestergemeinschaften

Schoenstatt members from Argentina, Paraguay, Ecuador, Chile Schönstätter aus Argentinien, Paraguay, Ecuador, Chile

Family get-together in the Father Kentenich House: Familienhaftes Zusammensein im Pater Kentenich Haus

Family: Time to share and get to know each other Familie: Zeit zum Reden und Kennenlernen

Fotos: PressOffice Schönstatt, Brehm © 2002

SCHOENSTATT, mkf. While the Schoenstatt family in Argentina celebrated the 50^th anniversary of the Father Shrine and sealed the Covenant with the Founder, as family, while approximately 300 Bavarian Schoenstatt pilgrims met at the site of the former concentration camp Dachau, while the little flock of Zimbabwean Schoenstatt celebrated the anniversary of the "Queen of Zimbabwe", while the Schoenstatt family in Guayaquil thanked for 30 years of their Shrine – the 60^th anniversary of the event that marked this day for ever as one of Schoenstatt's days of grace, was celebrated in Schoenstatt with representatives of the international family meeting for a festive Holy Mass in the Adoration Church, followed by a family get-together in the hall if the Father Kentenich House.

Early in the morning, at 9:00 AM, over 250 people overcrowded the presentation hall of the Father Kentenich House to join in a motivation at the beginning of this festive day as Schoenstatt commemorated Father Kentenich's decision 60 years ago to put all human means aside that could have granted him a realistic chance to avoid the way to Dachau, the concentration camp, and thus the separation from Schoenstatt, and the perspective of losing freedom, health, and even life.

"Whoever Loves the Family..."

After a short talk given by Sr Doria, a video presentation brought the historical day closer: In a videotaped testimony, Sr Blanda, the daughter of the physician who helped to talk the prison's physician into re-examining Fr Kentenich's health and get him certified as unfit for concentration camp, shared about the hopes, tensions, disappointments and gradual growths in a deeper understanding in faith that marked this time.

Father Kentenich rejected the possibility that was offered to him, trusting the reality of God and the Covenant of Love, and the interwovenness of faith, the mutual responsibility of the family for the founder and of the founder for his family. "Whoever loves the family will be glad to give their all for it," said Father Kentenich. He was a father – and a family was born on January 20, 1942.

In silence, all walked down to the Adoration Church after the motivation, where the festive Mass was to begin.

The reality of Supernatural and of Family

The Argentine flag in the Founder Chapel and by the MTA picture in the Adoration Church, a photo of the Shrine in Ecuador: reminders of the celebrations that were taking place on this day.

Monsignor Zimmerer, director general of the Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary was the main celebrant; a choir of Schoenstatt Sisters, Ladies of Schoenstatt and Women's Federation provided songs – and gave a testimony of joyful family unity! In his sermon, Monsignor Zimmerer highlighted the basic attitudes and characteristics of Fr Kentenich's decision and pointed at the reality of the Supernatural, and of the mutual responsibility that marks each family. The secret of Fr Kentenich's courageous decision, however, he said, was the silent and hidden event of Christmas Eve 1941, the birth of the mariengarten (garden of Mary. "Backed up by the awareness of the striving of the mariengarten, the attitude of children who give all for their father and a father who gives all for his children, Father Kentenich dared to trust totally on the reality of the Covenant of Love," he said.

In the prayer of the faithful, the celebration of the golden anniversary of the Father Shrine in Argentina amidst the economical and political crisis was mentioned, as well as the pressing worries in Germany around the come decision of the parliament about the use of embryonic stem cells. January 20 is not only history.

After Mass, all were invited for a family get-together in the Father Kentenich House, with refreshments, snacks, and sharing – sharing also of the first pictures received from Argentina! Latin American seminarians of the Schoenstatt Fathers, league members from Ecuador, Sisters from South Africa, USA, Ireland, Check Republic, India, the Philippines, a family from Chile and many other representatives of the international family mixed – with or without common language – with German Schoenstatt members. "It was simply good to have the chance to talk with each other, to get to know each other," a member of the Federation of Families said. "We should not wait until the 100^th anniversary to repeat this!"