Hundreds of persons - from the parish in Vallendar, the Pallottines, and Schoenstatt - gathered by the Original Shrine for the Opening of the month of May, the month of Mary in Germany. Hunderte von Menschen - aus der Pfarrei Vallendar, Pallottiner und Schönstätter - zur Maieröffnung rund ums Urheiligtum

The future of the church - dependant on the testimony of faith of the present generations. Die Zukunft der Kirche hängt vom lebendigen Glaubenszeugnis der jetzigen Generationen ab

Vanessa Sicouret and Maria Elena Vilches from Ecuador. Vanessa Sicouret und Maria Elena Vilches aus Ecuador

One of the youngest particpants Eine der jüngsten Teilnehmerinnen

Pater Rummel, SAC, Pater Mayer, SAC, Pater Barmettler, Schönstatt-Patres

The brass band of the Pallottine's high school Blasorchester des Pallottinergymnasiums

Chile in Schoenstatt: seminarians of the Schoenstatt Fathers, Professional Women, Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary Chile in Schönstatt: Seminaristen der Schönstattpatres, Berufstätige Frauen, Marienschwestern

Fotos: POS, Brehm © 2002

SCHOENSTATT, mkf. "Turn to Mary, she is the great missionary!" This word of Vincent Pallottio was the motto of this year's May Opening in Schoenstatt. "Where faith ceases to be vitally and joyfully witnessed it ceases to be effective for the own community of faith," Father Matthias Rummel, director or the Original Shrine, said in the packed Pallottines' Pilgrims' Church; the answer to the silent leaving of the church of so many can be found in the special graces found in the Schoenstatt Shrine, he stated. Pallottines, the parish of Vallendar, and the Schoenstatt Movement together began the month of May, the traditional month of Mary in Germany, this also being a testimony of missionary faith.

The Pallottines' Pilgrims' Church was filled to capacity – parishioners from Vallendar, Schoenstatt members living constantly or temporarily in Schoenstatt, participants of retreats, and several visitors were present, as well as young Schoenstatters from Latin America, India, and the United States, a pilgrimage of Professional Women from Chile, Latin American seminarians of the Schoenstatt Fathers… The brass band of the Pallottines' High School in Rheinbach provided the music.

Pallottine Father Rummel , director of the Original Shrine, welcomed all who had come. The parish priest of Vallendar, Fr. Mayer, and Schoenstatt Father Barmettler joined him.

Testimony of living and lived faith

In his sermon, Father Rummel picked up the motif of the gospel, Mary's visit to Elizabeth and her Magnificat. From there, he pointed at Mary as "the great missionary" and prophetic person of faith, and to her growing importance in a situation of increasing longing for a personal encounter with God and a faith touching the depth of one's personality. "Turn to Mary, she is the great missionary!" – a word of Vincent Pallotti that has become of relevance to the present situation. The Magnificat as missionary testimony: Like when Mary visited Elizabeth, today it is about the sharing of one's own personal experience of God in a joyful, self-confident and convincing way. "Where faith ceases to be vitally and joyfully witnessed it ceases to be effective for the own community of faith," said Father Rummel. Silently, more and more persons leave.

The answer given by some young people

Some young people and their spiritual adviser, said Fr Rummel, in a time of need trusted in the Blessed Mother. They offered their lives and their every day obligations to her to move her to work miracles of grace: to work a new and vital rootedness in God so that a strong faith can grow; to work the ability and willingness to accept the transforming power of faith; and, finally, to work that the testimony of faith is accompanies and supported by God's blessing so it may bear fruit. These three specific graces given in the Schoenstatt Shrine, missionary graces, would be central and crucial specially today, a confirmation of Pallotti's word: "She is the great missionary, she will work miracles!" When now all would process to the place of grace, we should ask the Blessed Mother to yield abundant missionary graces, enabling and urging us to be witnesses of a living and lived faith.

Candle light procession to the Original Shrine

From the Pilgrims' Church, the procession set out – in the footsteps of the founder generation. The procession way is along the wall that surrounds the old Pilgrims' place, then takes the turn through the portal, along the way between pilgrim place and college. How often may Joseph Engling and all those whose names recall the history of Schoenstatt's beginning have walked this way? Walking in the footsteps of the founder generation, getting an idea of the time around Schoenstatt 's first milestone, October 18, 1914, the Covenant of Love. One of the ladies from Chile is working hard to take a video of the procession. For each Schoenstatt member, it is a special moment to walk these ways, to circle the small place where Schoenstatt was born and from where it spread to over 80 countries. From many of these countries, Schoenstatt members today participate in the procession. More than 160 Shrines, exact replicas of the Original Shrine, originated, all linked to this place of grace; two new Shrines will be dedicated in this month of May, in Argentina and Mexico. From here, the Shrine multiplied into countless home shrines. From here the stream of life and grace originated that the Pilgrim Mother brings to millions and millions. From all the places in the world where the Covenant of Love is lived, blessings come back to this place.

United with all who gather by this Shrine…

United with all who gather by this Shrine we ask for the blessing of the Blessed Mother, we ask for the commitment of the founder generation for this May,", said Father Barmettler in the final prayer. Hundreds of persons stood around the Original Shrine, candles in their hands. Father Barmettler reminded of Pentecost and the Feast of the Holy Trinity to be celebrated in this month of May. After the renewal of the Covenant of Love and the Eucharistic blessing, the May Opening in Schoenstatt closed with the hymn: "Protect us with your mantle", sung in several languages. Afterwards, the time of encounter continued – with personal visits in the Shrine, and with greeting, and sharing!