Dies seminaristas de los Padres de Schoenstatt de visita en la Oficina de Prensa Schoenstatt Ten seminarians of the Schoenstatt Fathers visiting PressOffice Schoenstatt Zehn Seminaristen der Schönstattpatres beim Besuch im PressOffice Schönstatt

Fotos: POS, Fischer © 2002

SCHOENSTATT, mkf. Ten seminarians of the Schoenstatt Fathers from USA, India, Spain, Chile, and Argentina, who are spending their "Sion time", a time of consolidation in the spirituality of Schoenstatt and the place of origin, visited PressOffice Schoenstatt on August 29, 2002, to get to know more about its origin, goals, and work.

"How can we create an awareness of being correspondent, of being responsible, in those who could be or are in charge of writing an article or passing on information?" – "From how many countries do you receive reports?" – "Now I really understand how important it is to give one's views on something as Schoenstatt Movement, but: where do I have to turn to with this when I want to?" – "How can we get some more material or schooling on how to do Schoenstatt journalism?" – "What would it mean to create national Press Offices?" Some of the many questions that showed the interest of the group.

Correspondents in 32 countries

A short review showed the origin and development of schoenstatt.de with meanwhile 18.000 – 20.000 user sessions per month, correspondents in 32 countries, and a growing (and grown) "fame" of being an address to turn to when one wants to be in contact with Schoenstatt on an international level. Some examples from the recent time followed to show how schoenstatt.de not only provides "hard news" or information for the media, but also and specially provides a way to know about Schoenstatt in other countries, to find inspiration, ideas, attachment, the experience of being a family, united in a mission: the recent solidarity in prayer with the victims of the inundations with prayers said in Covenant Celebrations in more than 15 countries, the "shingle express" with shingles from the roof of the Original Shrine getting to new Shrines, and home shrines in several countries, inspired by a report on schoenstatt.de, the prayers and congratulations of a group of German Single Women for the crowning in Mendoza or the come benediction of the Shrine in Cordoba. "Something is growing with this that is typical Schoenstatt," Lorenzo Lütjens, speaker or the group, said. "A net, attachments, and Schoenstatt, the place of origin, in the center."

The seminarians enjoyed the description of "how to recruit correspondents" among the "fans" of schoenstatt.de. "The correspondents are a certain 'type' of Schoenstatt persons: the missionary ones! Those who want to spread Schoenstatt, combined with a high degree of openness and interest, usually can't resist because they see the chance to bring the MTA and Father Kentenich's mission to the ends of the world!"

Co-operation with Journalists, seminars

Another aspect of high interest was press work, the way how to get articles into the newspapers, how to co-operate with journalists, how to prepare for interviews and how to find ways to give one's views of salient issues in the ecclesial, political, or social sphere.

In Schoenstatt and at other places "on demand", Press Office Schoenstatt will also in 2003 offer seminars for those interested in Schoenstatt press work: Theoretical and practical foundations of journalism and Public Relations, Schoenstatt journalism, Interview techniques, Statements, and, picking up the questions of one of the seminarians: how to grow in the "correspondent consciousness".