25 de enero de 2003: grupo del "Jardín de María" de las Profesionales, Norte de Alemania, en la tumba del Padre: la Alianza con el Padre abre los corazones para la alianza con otras generaciones, países, ramas... January 25, 2003: the "Mariengarten" group of the Women's League, Northern Germany, in the Founder Chapel: the Covenant with Father Kentenich opens for the covenant with other generations, branches, countries.... 25. Januar 2003: Kernkreis der Schönstattgemeinschaft Berufstätige Frauen, Nordkreis: das Bündnis mit dem Vater und Gründer öffnet für das Bündnis mit anderen Generationen, Gliederungen, Ländern...
Dos generaciones, una misión: Aenne Raffauf (izq.), Jutta Schneider (der.) Two generations, one mission: Aenne Rauffauf (l.), Jutta Schneider (r.) Zwei Generationen, eine Sendung: Aenne Rauffauf (l.), Jutta Schneider (r.)
Luzia Schwarz - la alegría de compartir la misión Luzia Schwarz - the joy of sharing a mission Luzia Schwarz - Freude, eine Sendung zu teilen
Intercambio con el Padre Rudolf Mosbach Discussion with Father Rudolf Mosbach Austausch mit Pater Rudolf Mosbach
Rosario iluminado en la capilla del Sonnenau Illiumined Rosary in the house chapel of House Sonnenau Lichter-Rosenkranz in der Hauskapelle der Sonnenau
Padre Rudolf Mosbach, Misa al final del encuentro Father Rudolf Mosbach, final Mass Pater Rudolf Mosbach, Schlussmesse
Fotos: POS, Fischer© 2003
Tapa del librito con la charla del Padre Kentenich sobre el Rosario vivo Cover of the booklet with the talk of Father Kentenich about the living rosary Cover des Hefts mit dem Vortrag Pater Kentenichs über den lebendigen Rosenkranz

SCHOENSTATT, mkf. "And then I thought, Father Kentenich does not carry on his life in a display cabinet, but in living 'displays', in his children, and therefore I want to give my album with photos, and letters of Father Kentenich to you". It took the 11 members of the younger generation of the Professional Women's League of Northern Germany some minutes to respond, the joy and surprise left them speechless. Aenne Raffauf's generous gift is the culmination of a Covenant of Generations that was sealed a year before and renewed this year; not planned as a strategy but experienced as a gift rooted in the common Covenant with the Father and Founder. A celebration in the Founder Chapel, and an Illumined Rosary in the House Chapel of the Sonnenau, were highlights of the encounter.

It had been subject of considerations, planning's, and source of headache, and tears: The age gap in the German Professional Women's League, between a big older generation of whom many meanwhile are no longer able to attend meetings, and a small younger generation that tried to conquer their own way of living the mission as Professional Women. "You plan and think and think and plan, and then you experience that life is stronger, and that the generations find each other in the same love and mission," one of the participants said. On January 26, 2002, ten members of the younger generation from Northern Germany had invited the older generation (and some other friends and allies) to participate in what was their gift for the 60^th anniversary of January 20, 1942, Father Kentenich's decision to freely go to Dachau for his family. To the surprise and joy of the older generation, the younger members had, with their own words, songs and expressions, freely decided to adopt the ideal and mission of the older generation. "We experienced a tremendous joy with the older ones opening their hearts, history and community to us," Gabriele Sudermann said, recalling the moment when older members incited with the light from their red candles the red candles in the symbols of the younger ones. January 25 – 26, 2003, saw 11 younger league members and four older ones – from the dioceses of Cologne, and Freiburg -, meeting again to celebrate their covenant.

Children of one loving Father – responsible for his mission and legacy

"We experienced being part of big family, children of one loving Father," Alexa Clemens said. "In the 'Open Shrine', which is the heart of our Father, we are one – one with the older generation, one with the Schoenstatt Movement of Argentina, with the Schoenstatt Rosary Campaign of John Pozzobon, and with all those who are included in our prayer of the rosary, whom we sent greetings, capital of grace, and congratulations." – "It is a relief to know that we are totally responsible for the mission and legacy of our Father, but that we have our older sisters' capital of grace, and prayers, to back us up", Hildegard Fischer said. The congratulations and letters that had not only come from those of their group who could not be physically present, but from older league members from the dioceses of Trier, Rottenburg-Stuttgart, Speyer, made the unity in one Father and one mission tangible. A unity not restricted to the Women's League: the Sisters from the Bavarian Province, united with the Women's League in the commitment to the Dachau Shrine, offered an hour of adoration on January 25, and made the group a precious gift with a talk by Father Kentenich.

Illumined Rosary – with a thanksgiving letter from the Apostolic Nuncio's Office in the middle

On Sunday morning, January 26, an Illumined Rosary in the House Chapel of the Sonnenau offered a beautiful opportunity to bring all the joy, commitment, and all the urgent prayer requests received to the Mother Thrice Admirable in the Covenant of Love: broken marriages, a young boy with heart surgery, the persons who suffer from the crisis in Argentina, persons who lost their jobs in Germany, those who so much had liked to be present, the new director of the German Schoenstatt Movement and his task, the novices of the Schoenstatt Fathers… Older and younger League members took turns praying the Hail Mary's and Our Father's, offering a rose and lighting a candle for each bead of the rosary that took shape in the chapel, with the Auxiliary, some Pilgrim MTA's, the Father Eye symbol for the Dachau Shrine, in the middle. A special joy and gift was placed there also - a letter received a few days before from the Apostolic Nuncio's office in Berlin. In the name of the Holy Father, Monsignor Gabriel Caccia thanked the Professional Women of Northern Germany for their promise, to follow the Holy Father's call to pray the rosary and promote this prayer where ever they can. The Holy Father specially thanked for the "Argentine Rosary", a macramé rosary typical for Argentina, that the women had sent him as a gift – it stands for so far more than 900 rosaries of this kind that they gave to parish priests, families, communion children, bishops, homeless people, to friends, co-workers, and Schoenstatt members.

Father Kentenich's talk "Let us live the rosary" published in German

"Just on time" for their meeting, the first copies of Father Kentenich's rosary talk "Let us live the rosary" had arrived from the Printers'. On June 18, 1949, Father Kentenich spoke in Villa Ballester, Argentina, about the rosary as a crown of living roses, showing his audience to not only pray the rosary, but live, and offer it, as to become a living rosary, contemplating, living and offering the joyful and sorrowful mysteries of one's own life in unity with Jesus and Mary so that the Blessed Mother can work her miracles. The talk that in Argentina and beyond has created much life, was now for the first time published in German – on initiative of the Professional Women, and as a gift of the Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary of the Nazaret Province. The publisher in Germany is the Founder Secretariat.

"This can be the perfect gift, along with the rosaries," Alexa Clemens said… a perfect gift also as at least in the diocese of Eichstaett the Illumined Rosary, along with a photo of the "Argentinean rosary" of macramé, next week will be widely known. Searching for something original about the rosary, the editor of the diocesan newspaper found an article on schoenstatt.de about the Illumined Rosary prayed in St. Anna's, Kleve … and wanted to know more!

Although the rosary apostles "lost" the last rosaries during their stay in Schoenstatt, they'll go on – the next package with rosaries – each one prayed for the recipient while being made- , is already on the way from La Plata, Argentina!