Easter Vigil on Mount Schoenstatt: the Easter candle is lit Osternachtfeier auf Berg Schönstatt: die Osterkerze wird am Osterfeuer entzündet

Easter Vigil: the participants of the marriage preparations seminar presented their wedding candles. Osternacht: die Teilnehmer des Ehe-Vorbereitungsseminars bringen ihre Hochzeitskerzen

Easter Vigil: Young women, participants of a retreat in House Sonnenau, presenting flowers as sign of the new life. Osternacht: Junge Frauen, Teilnehmerinnen der Exerzitien in der Sonnenau, bringen Blütenzweige als Zeichen des Neuaufbruchs

Easter Vigil: Girls from Chile and Ecuador experiencing their first Easter in Schoenstatt Osternacht: das erste Ostern in Schönstatt für Jugendliche aus Ecuador und Chile

Wedding candles and other gifts and symbols during the Easter Vigil. Hochzeitskerzen und andere Zeichen während der Osternacht

The Original Shrine on Easter Sunday Am Urheiligtum am Ostersonntag

Easter Sunday in the Original Shrine: prayers for peace, hope and joy Ostersonntag im Urheiligtum: Gebet für Frieden, Hoffnung und Freude

Easter egg hunt: participants of an Easter retreat of the initiative "Young Schoenstatt" Ostereiersuche: Teilnehmer eines Ostertreffens der Initiative "Junges Schönstatt"

Good Friday pilgrimage of the Filipino Community "The Loved Flock", Bonn, Germany Karfreitagswallfahrt der philippinischen Gemeinschaft "The Loved Flock", Bonn

Fotos: POS, Fischer © 2002

Girls from Switzerland on Schoenstatt Easter retreat Mädchen aus der Schweiz bei der Schönstatt-Ostertagung

Fotos: POS, Brehm © 2002

SCHOENSTATT, mkf. Easter Sunday in Schoenstatt – the special light of the Spring sun radiating not only the lush new green of the trees and bushes, and the yellow, white and pink of the spring flowers, but also the interior of the shrines, churches, and house chapels in Schoenstatt. The night before, the Easter Vigil in the Adoration Church was filled to capacity, especially with many young people, uniting Schoenstatt members and friends from all continents, generations, and branches in the "Night of Light". The joy and peace of Easter resounded in the songs – and seemed to be mirrored in Easter greetings and petitions to be remembered on this Day, coming in from Macau, China to Los Angeles, California.

"We unite with the whole family to pray for peace in the midst of war, for hope in the midst of hopelessness – May the Easter Joy Reign," wrote Norma and Lito Barbieri from Buenos Aires, Argentina. It's the night of the growing light, the night when the new light literally travels the world from East to West as the Easter Fire is lighted from Macau, China – where eight new Christians were received into a parish – to California. It's not about lulling the tensions and wars of these days, but to light them with the Light, the Risen Lord, the reason of the joy and hope of Easter. Christian Figuero, Montahue, Chile: "The Easter Vigil was celebrated at 9:00 PM. Just a quarter of an hour before it began, a gigantic yellow moon rose between the mountains, reminding us clearly of the way of the People of Israel through the Red Sea, and the faithfulness of the God of Providence to his loved ones. On the other hand, when I saw the Holy Father interiorly so strong and physically so weakened by his sicknesses, I thought how the various conflicts of the world affect him. It's enough to think of Zimbabwe, of the scandals provoked by priests, of Argentina thrown into a poverty that would not have to be, in Colombia's seed of death, in Europe taking questionable decisions on bioethic issues, etc. May the Risen Lord be his, and be our strength!"

Easter Joy, Easter Faith – Just Live it!

Many young people joined in the Easter Vigil on Mount Schoenstatt: Eighteen couples from a marriage preparation retreat, girls from Switzerland on retreat in Schoenstatt, young women from all over Germany on retreat, and a large number of young women from Ecuador, USA, Chile, and Paraguay.

The celebration began with the lighting of the Easter fire outside the Adoration Church; the young people especially formed circles around the fire, while the older participants waited in the dark church for the procession with the big Easter candle to announce the resurrection of Christ. The joy and peace of Easter resounded in the songs and the bells. Several priests concelebrated the festive Easter Vigil; Monsignor Zimmerer encouraged all to live out of the strong Easter faith and Easter joy and thus to radiate hope and confidence in a world too often marked by hopelessness and mistrust. If others around, Christians included, would not live this joy - we should live it for them; if they would not live this faith, we could do it for them!

A special highlight of the Vigil came with the offering of the gifts, when the 18 couples presented the wedding candles that they had prepared during the previous days of their marriage preparation course. Two young women, participants of the Young Women's Easter retreat in House Sonnenau, brought a basket with Easter eggs and flowers, and two girls from South America offered an Easter lamb cake.

After the Vigil, Easter wishes were extended, friends greeted… and in spite of the change to daylight saving time, many continued the Easter celebration with a party in their houses!

Holy Week and Easter Retreats

The days before Easter were marked by several Holy Week and Easter retreats. Forty girls from all over Germany attended a course of instruction for future group leaders in House Sonnenau, and several young women joined in a retreat in House Sonnenau given by Father Beller. Both on Good Friday as well as during the Easter Vigil, they participated in the Liturgy in the Adoration Church instead of staying in their own little community.The experience of celebrating with the larger community was special to them. Girls from Switzerland arrived on Holy Saturday for a Schoenstatt Week in House Sonnenau. At the beginning of the Easter Vigil, they stood close to the fire, holding hands … and enjoying an Easter experience that meant a lot to them.

On Good Friday, over 70 members of a Filipino Charismatic community in Bonn, "The Loved Flock", came to Schoenstatt to pray the Stations of the Cross and participate in the Liturgy. In the morning, they visited the tomb of Father Kentenich and entrusted their loved ones to his intercession. Macarena from Chile, one of the participants of the extended stay program for girls and young women who want to get to know Schoenstatt more profoundly, led the group (in English) to the extreme joy of all of the participants. They prayed the rosary on their way from the Adoration Church to the valley, and the Stations of the Cross on the way back. After a shared lunch in House Marienland with typical Filipino food and Bible Sharing in small groups (an open air program thanks to the beautiful weather), they joined the Good Friday Liturgy in the Adoration Church. To their delight, they could afterward greet three Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary from the Philippines.

In House Marienau, 18 young couples took part in the already traditional marriage preparation seminar, and in the House of the Family, families from all over Germany participated in an Easter retreat with the focus of getting to know more about the meaning and symbolism of Holy Week and Easter and applying it to their marriage and family life. Young people participating in workshops of the Initiative "Young Schoenstatt" were seen on Easter Sunday enjoying an Easter Egg hunt!!!

Sharing Easter Moments in Schoenstatt

Many individuals, families, and small groups came to enjoy some "Easter moments" in Schoenstatt – some of the mostly senior Schoenstatt members and friends who came to Schoenstatt for Easter have done so for many years! A couple from Paraguay spent some time in Schoenstatt as well as some friends from Ecuador. On Good Friday, two Düsseldorf members of the Professional Women's League showed up in Schoenstatt – regardless of the age difference of over 40 years, they enjoyed their "shared crazy idea" to just get in the car and go! Since they got to know each other at the end of January during a common meeting of the younger and older generations, they don't only occasionally meet at a bus stop but also for coffee break and sharing … and for Easter moments in Schoenstatt!

English edition: Joan Biemert, New Franken/WI, USA