Schoenstatt's most popular symbol, the picture of the Pilgrim Mother,now available as pendant. Schönstatts verbreitestes Symbol, das Bild der Pilgernden Gottesmutter, gibt es nun als Anhänger

Foto: POS Brehm © 2002

Display with the pendants - soon to be found in many Schoenstatt Centers Bald wohl in vielen Schönstattzentren: Ständer mit den Anhängern

Foto: Goldschmiede, Schönstatt © 2002

A Pendant in form of the Pilgrim Mother picture – a Souvenir not only for Children

A long-time wish was fulfilled recently by the Schoenstatt Brothers of Mary and their goldsmiths: a pendant in the form of the Pilgrim Mother picture, was designed with much love and effort to depict faithfully the well-known picture of the pilgrim mother. Ernest Kanzler, Superior General of the Schoenstatt Brothers of Mary: "We showed models of the pendant to people in different places, specially to those attached to the Pilgrim Mother. The small detail are decisive for the acceptance of this symbol. You can't for example leave away the base of the Pilgrim Mother picture. 'No, that's not our Pilgrim Mother', someone in Brazil said when we showed a model without that base!" – Several missionaries of the Pilgrim Mother in England, Brazil, Argentina, and USA who saw or got such a pendant agreed in stating that the pendant turned out as a "real miniature replica of the pictures of our dear Pilgrim mother." Significant features of the pendants (15 x 29 mm in size) are the colored cords – bright green, red, yellow, lately additionally some darker colors also -, the colored MTA picture, the bright gold. Ernest Kanzler: "We thought specially of the children who visit a Schoenstatt Center. This pendant with the colorful cords could be a nice souvenir for children. So far, there were not too many really 'schoenstatty' souvenirs for children available." Little Michelle (4) from England who recently visited Schoenstatt turned out to be so proud of her new acquisition that she showed it to all of her companions at school! The prize (1,40 €) of the pendant "was calculated as low as possible so that it should also be within the reach of pilgrims in Latin America. Maybe one day we will also produce a piece of goldwork in this form, but our first aim now was to start the mass production of a souvenir of the most popular Schoenstatt symbol, affordable for all!"

Information, orders: GoldSchoenstatt@t-online.de

Monday Night Talks in the House of the Families

On each first Monday night of the month, couples from the Schoenstatt Families' Movement are inviting for 'Monday Night Talks" in the House of the Families. In April, Claudia and Heinrich Brehm, Vallendar, spoke about conflict management in marriage, and the chance to use tensions and conflicts to grow into a deeper and more mature relationship with each other. Different dialogue forms and situations were analyzed in view of words, non-verbal expressions and patterns of behavior that make for a positive or negative outcome of a conflict dialogue. – In May, Gabriele and Michael Rohrbeck, Niederwerth, spoke about the challenges of educating adolescent children under the flashing title: "Puberty is when parents start to become difficult!" The last Monday Night Talk of the first unit will take place on June 3; Lukas and Diane Schreiber will speak about the uniqueness of each marriage and how to express this.

Information: familienbewegung@schoenstatt.de

Pilgrimage from the diocesis of Fulda: with the MTA through Vallendar Wallfahrt aus der Diözese Fulda: Mit der MTA durch Vallendar

Communion children in the procession through Vallendar Kommunionkinder in der Prozession durch Vallendar

Foto: POS Fischer © 2002

Procession through Vallendar: Pilgrimage from the Diocese of Fulda

Sounds of a brass band early on a Sunday morning in the pedestrians' area of Vallendar, young people with baby carriages and strollers singing Marian songs and praying the rosary, Communion children in their festive dresses: the pilgrimage from the diocese of Fulda I this year already took place on April 28, being the first diocesan pilgrimage of the season. Like in the years before, the pilgrims arrived with a special train that stopped in Vallendar; the train had a "train Shrine" with the Blessed Sacrament and MTA picture! Like in each year, the pilgrims processed through Vallendar, carrying the Eucharistic Lord, and the picture of the Mother Thrice Admirable of Schoenstatt.

After the Erfurt School Shooting: Let us not Forget the Initiative "A Supporting Net"

After the Erfurt school shooting – the biggest massacre in German post-war history – Sr. Marié, Projekt Pilgerheiligtum, in a letter addressed to the Centers and communities in Schoenstatt, reminded of the project's initiative "A Supporting Net" that she launched in the aftermath of September 11. The initiative was presented extensively during the October Week 2001, the annual German leaders' convention. Approximately 3,000 persons meanwhile joined the initiative. The idea is to sign a so-called "net card" which means the pledge to work for a culture of peace, love, and life, and to pray the "network prayer" (Let us walk like you through life). Participants of the initiative are also invited to visit a Schoenstatt Shrine once a year.

Information: pilgerheiligtum@schoenstatt.de

Mothers from the diocese of Eichstätt in Marienland Mütter aus der Diözese Eichstätt in Marienland

Foto: POS Fischer © 2002

Retreats for Schoenstatt Mothers, Retired Professional Women, and Adoration Circle

In House Marienland, several retreats for Schoenstatt Mothers took place, among others with participants from the dioceses of Eichstätt, Cologne, Aix-la-Chapelle, Paderborn, Münster, Augsburg, and Munich. All of the groups celebrated the 25^th jubilee of the Shrine by Marienland. End April, the Schoenstatt Prayer Community, associated with the Adoration Sisters, had a retreat with participants from all over Germany and beyond.

Retired professional women (Women's League) from several dioceses had their annual retreat. On May 9, a group of retired professionals set out from Schoenstatt for a pilgrimage to Rome.

Our Common Roots: Day for Couples

Couples from the dioceses of Limburg, and Trier, met in the House of the families for a "Day for couples" under the title: "Our common roots". Claudia and Heinrich Brehm, and Sr. Gertrud-Maria Ehrhard, spoke about the talking with great delicacy about very personal items like sexuality, weaknesses, and prayer, always taking into account the differences between women and men in the approach to these subjects.

Celebrating World Youth Day also in Schoenstatt: July 26 – 28, 2002

Flyers with an invitation to join the "World Youth Day in Schoenstatt" were distributed early May in Schoenstatt and beyond. A group of students of the Schoenstatt Fathers, and other young members of the Schoenstatt Movement who cannot go to Toronto to participate in the World Youth Day, had the idea the organize a parallel event in Schoenstatt with a live broadcast of the vigil night with the Pope in Toronto (at approximately 4:30 in the morning), and several attractive items on the program similar to what is to take place in Toronto: workshops, liturgy, Open Air concerts, arts and crafts workshops, discussion groups, tours of Schoenstatt, barbecue night… The event is open for all young people ages 16 – 35.

More: www.wjt-schoenstatt.de , contact: WJT@schoenstatt.de