Emilie Engel como profesora joven Emilie Engel as a young teacher Emilie Engel als junge Lehrerin

Libro con testimonios, cartas, notas de su diario, comentarios de Padre Kentenich, y otras fuentes Book with testomonies, letters, diary notes, comments from Father Kentenich, and other ources Quellenband mit Zeugnissen, Briefen, Tagebuchnotizen, Aussagen des Gründeres

Hermana Emilie, madre de su comunidad Sister Emilie, mother of her community Schwester Emilie, mütterliche Mitte ihrer Gemeinschaft

Fotos: Archiv © 2002

SWITZERLAND, Quarten, mkf. "Maybe it was the first Emilie workshop of the world", Sr. M. Veronika Böhler wrote on a card that accompanied a number of brochures, photos, and texts from the first afternoon workshop on Emilie Engel (1893 – 1955) that took place on November 21, 2002, in Quarten. A series of four workshops is planned for the coming four months, highlighting each time one central aspect of the life of Sr. Emilie following the interpretation given by Father Kentenich, the founder of Schoenstatt, who was her spiritual director during several decades; he said that her mission would be to lead modern people out of their fears and need and lead them home to the everloving Father.

Each workshop is offered twice, once on Thursday afternoon, then on Saturday morning. With the biography and book of testimonies about Sr Emilie as basis, and starting point, each workshop is under a theme taken from Father Kentenich's comments on Emilie Engel's life and mission.

The freedom of being God´s favorite child

The first workshop that took place on November 21 and November 23, dealt with the "wall" that Emilie, according to Father Kentenich, had to "jump": her exaggerated sense of responsibility. The following seminar follow the course of education by Father Kentenich and auto-education, both embedded in the transforming grace from the shrine, that transformed the fear-ridden, serious and over-responsible Emilie Engel into a relaxed, joyful and radiant women whose charisma keeps attracting people almost fifty years after her death.

The following three workshops are on her inner growth with and through her (demanding!) task, and (severe!) limitations (December 12 and 14), the discovery of freeing childlikeness (January 9 and 11, 2003), and her mission to show others a model path of holiness with and in limitations, by showing them the God as ever merciful Father (February 6 and 8, 2004).

Encouraging to face the difficulties of life

The first workshop had a good start; participants came from the area of Sargans, Rhine Valley, Bündnerland, the are of Lake Zurich, and even from more distant places. They found that Emilie Engel has a message for modern people of the third millennium. Working individually and in groups with photos of Emilie Engel, texts from the biography and testimonial comments from Father Kentenich, the participants discovered the personality of a woman who had to fight with strong limitations of nature and character, and who managed to "jump" her wall – encouraging thus to face the difficulties of life, to jump each one's very wall that hinders to go ahead.

The Emilie Workshop offers "mosaic pieces" of a life that can only be understood with Father Kentenich's wise guidance, words, and Father love. Allied with him in her auto-education, in her task and mission, she seems to now have become a strong ally for his cause of canonization, shedding light on the person and charisma of Father Kentenich.

The participants specially enjoyed one advice that she gave:

"Most important is that you always keep calm, because Father and Mother are constantly looking on you and your loved ones and always want the best for you and for them."