On Mothers' Day: a flower dance for the Mother of Christ Am Muttertag: Blumentanz für die Mutter Christi

Speakers: Sr. Andra Maria Lingscheid (l), Frau Freisberg Sprecherinnen: Sr. Andra-Maria Lingscheid (l), Frau Freisberg

Meditation time: also the children wrote the names of their friends, parents, and siblings for the "Blessed Mother's jar" Meditation: auch die Kinder machten mit, als es galt, die Namen von Freunden, Eltern und Geschwistern aufzuschreiben für die "Krugpost"

Schoenstatt Sisters contributed music with guitars, flutes, keaboard Mit Instrumenten begleiteten Marienschwestern die Feier

Flower procession Blumengang

A beuatifil bouquet of flowers for Mary! Ein wunderschöner Blumenstrauß für Maria!

Founder Chapel: a word from Father Kentenich for each family Gründerkapelle: ein "gutes Wort" von Pater Kentenich für jede Familie

Open Air party on Mount Schoenstatt Unter freiem Himmel ging es auf Berg Schönstatt weiter

Fun (not only) for the children... Spaß (nicht nur) für die Kinder...

Barrel organ player: special attraction Drehorgelmann: besondere Attraktion

Fotos: POS Fischer © 2002

SCHOENSTATT,mkf. "Is it going to be like that all Sundays in summer? I didn't know it would be like that in Schoenstatt, and would like to bring my friends…" – No, it is not going to be like that on the other Sundays, this was Mothers' Day in Schoenstatt, a special celebration offered by the Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary on Mount Schoenstatt: hundreds of people sitting on benches, chatting, having coffee and cake; children playing around, live music provided by Sisters and a barrel-organ player… Before, a prayer service in honor of all mothers and the mother of God had taken place in the Adoration Church.

Three persons from Rübenach/Koblenz were heading towards the Adoration Church, wondering about the number of cars on the parking place: "Is anything going on here? We just came here for a walk and a quick visit to that church that we were curious about; we heard someone is buried in there!" They got a quick information about Schoenstatt, Father Kentenich, and the thousands of visitors from all over the world to come to Schoenstatt each year: "Now we live so close and never were here! But you know, people in Koblenz really don't know it!"

Other visitors came already in previous years, for the singing by the crib, or to the Monday Night Talks.

"We had an age span of over 90 years," Sister Anne-Meike Brück, in charge of the event, shared. "I was glad to see so many young families with small children!"

Flowers for Mary, the Mother of All

At the beginning of the Mothers' Day Celebration in the Adoration Church, thanks was said for and to all mothers, and to Mary, the Mother of all. A flower dance of the children, the music and songs provided by a group of Schoenstatt Sisters, a time of meditation when all were invited to write down sorrows, needs, or just the names of loved ones, and the offering of a flower for Mary were parts of the prayer service that was marked by much variety. In the advertising for this event, all had been invited to bring a flower – and from daisies to gerbera, from violets to roses, from lilies of the valley (in German: may bells) to orchids all sorts of flowers were brought to honor Mary! At the end of the celebration, all could pay a visit to the Founder Chapel where they could take a "good word" from Father Kentenich written on red paper hearts – these paper hearts ran out long before all had been by the tomb of Father Kentenich!

Mothers' Day Party on Mount Schoenstatt

For almost two hours after the end of the celebration in the church, the weather stayed agreeable so that the open air party could take place. Stands with coffee and cake, with flowers and plants from the Sisters' gardens, and with information material were well-visited, as well as the handicraft workshop in the old barn, and the various corners with games for the children. "I never saw that many sisters at once," a man wondered. "Where do they all come from?" Indeed, groups of sisters could be seen in each "activity corner", working, talking with people or simply enjoying the program! A barrel organ player was the special attraction! – Around 5:00 PM, a downpour sent the majority of the visitors in record speed to their cars, and some brave ones into the barn – were the barrel-organ player continued with this program!