Schönstatt - Begegnungen

A Global Player's Global Prayer

Leaders' Circle of Professional Women Meeting in Frohlinde to Plan Year's Activities

Leaders' Meeting of the Professional Women, Northern Germany: planning of this year's activities
Führungsteam-Treffen der Berufstätigen Frauen, Nordkreis: Jahresplanung mit Moderationsmethode
In between: minutes of the results and resolutions are typed and sent to those who could not participate
Zwischendrin: Notizen fürs Protokoll, Ergebnisse und Entschlüsse für die Info an alle, die nicht teilnehmen konnten
Illumined Rosary: Ave Maria, candle and rose for the Pilgrim Mother Campaign in Senegal.
Lichterrosenkranz: Ave Maria, Rose und Licht für die Kampagne der Pilgernden Gottesmutter im Senegal
With the Illumined Rosary, the work place, family, neighborhood, parish, and the international Schoenstatt are remembered and "brought into prayer".
Mit dem Lichterrosenkranz kommen Arbeitsplatz, Familie, Nachbarschaft, Pfarrei und weltweites Schönstatt ins Heiligtum
Fotos: Fischer © 2002

GERMANY, mkf. Mugabe meets Schröder, a young missionary in Senegal meets the director of a nursing school in Germany, children preparing for Holy Communion are present as well as the whole working force of a hospital's administration: it's February 23, Saturday night, in the Shrine in Frohlinde, it's the Professional Women's "Global Prayer", the illumined rosary, with a concrete person or intention connected with each Hail Mary, and it's a matter of almost two hours. This rosary said in the evening hours of a day filled with evaluation and planning is the absolute highlight for the 12 women ages 30 – 45 who met for the year's planning in the Schoenstatt Center in Frohlinde.

"It interesting, we only pray the rosary in this way since about one year, but it simply belongs to us, and I would not want to miss it on any meeting," wrote one of the participants – belonging to the group almost as long as this form of a praying the rosary. Several of the team members who could not participate in the meeting joined in from their workplaces, home shrines, or even from vacation in Quito, Ecuador!

The work of the day – evaluation of the past year's apostolic projects, formation, and the understanding of the message of past year's encounters, experiences and "absolutely unplanned gifts of Divine Providence" – is summarized and brought into prayer as well as the gratitude for personal experiences of God's Father love, and intentions and needs from the work places, parishes, and the international Schoenstatt family.

Zimbabwe and Colombia, a new Shrine and a Mother's Cancer

"I want to pray for the mother who last week told me that she has cancer: Hail Mary, full of grace…" While the others in the Shrine joined in praying, Inge lighted a candle, and places a rose ihn the sanctuary of the Shrine in Frohlinde. "For the elections in Zimbabwe, and the Schoenstatt family there", "for the Schoenstatt family in Colombia after the failing of the peace process", "for the victims of the car accident yesterday," "for the school director who is so nervous", "in gratitude for the Fischer family who represented Schoenstatt in the initiative for the protection of human embryos," "for the children in our parish who prepare for First Holy Communion…" Each Ave Maria a light, a rose, and the concern for people. "While all are worrying about the negative effects of globalization," Birgit commented, "Schoenstatt long since is acting as a 'global player'; and the rosary of the Open Shrine reaches out to all!" Soon before she had volunteered to summarize from schoenstatt.de all the upcoming events of the year to inform all on time on intentions that should not be forgotten. Her "Hail Mary" is for the new Shrines to be dedicated on May 18 in Monterrey, and Belén de Escobar. Martina lighted the candle "For Hellen from Córdoba who brought the Pilgrim Mother to Senegal." Martina and some other women had spiritually accompanied Hellen's work and now helped that she, before returning to Argentina, will be able to visit Schoenstatt. It's a special moment, when the light for the graces received from the Golden Anniversary of the Father Shrine in Argentina is lighted and all join in praying for the recovery from the socio-economical crisis. Inge Cleven: "We were privileged to participate in this days of grace in a very special way, as our names are in the base of the Father statue. This was and is such a special gift for us."

After almost two hours, the rosary of lights is complete … "I did not realize that it was so long," said Christine. "I could have prayed yet another rosary!" Martina: "When we pray the rosary in this way, the 'Open Shrine' is not simply an ideal, but reality."

Love is stronger: Ideas, Visions, Commitment

Maybe it was because of the rosary that the "Hour of Visions" in the evening of February 23 was so productive. Ignoring all that reduces creativity to "solving problems and planning the next meeting" – lack of time, of money, of people, etc. - the women developed visions (or call it crazy ideas) for their community, and for Schoenstatt; within thirty minutes, a climate of enthusiasm and mission zeal was created that made all of them not only willing to go the extra mile to make the visions become real but also to realize that some of the "wild ideas" were not so totally wild after all. Getting down to earth from there, as a result of this "hour of visions", one of them joyfully volunteered to travel over 400 kilometers in order to represent the Schoenstatt Movement's role in the Initiative for the Protection of Human Embryos at a symposium of the Focolar Movement in Karlsruhe, "taxi-services" for the Schoenstatt Girls Youth and elderly League members were organized, four women who not yet had internet access decided to work for this in order to participate in the "global prayers and global sharing of Schoenstatt" (and to facilitate communication within the team), the resolution was made that each team member would present a project of social, political, or pastoral relevance on the come team meeting, and the vision of the Covenant of Love to be self-understood was promoted for example by announcing "next dates for Covenant of Love" in each newsletter. The idea of a rummage sale on Mount Schoenstatt as fund raiser for Schoenstatt social projects in Latin America has yet to pass the reality check…

The meeting ended on Sunday afternoon with a slide show about the 50th anniversary of the Father Shrine in Argentina, and the renewal of the Covenant of Love and the Covenant with Father Kentenich.



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Last Update: 12.03.2002 14:12 Mail: Editor /Webmaster
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