Fuego de Pascua, Iglesia de la Adoración, Schoenstatt Easter Fire, Adoration Church, Schoenstatt Osterfeuer vor der Anbetungskirche, Berg Schönstatt
Los novios entregaron sus velas de boda en la Vigilia Pascual The couples, participants of the marriage preparation seminar,  offered their wedding candles during the Easter Vigil Die Paare vom Ehe-Vorbereitungsseminar brachten bei der Osternachtfeier ihre Hochzeitskerzen zum Altar.
Alianza de Amor de dos matrimonios de Austria, en el Santuario Original Covenant of Love of two couples from Austria, in the Original Shrine Liebesbündnis von zwei Ehepaaren aus Österreich im Urheiligtum
Cuadro de la MTA para un futuro Santuario en Styria, Austria MTA picture for a future Shrine in Styria, Austria Das MTA-Bild für ein zukünftiges Heiligtum in der Steiermark
El Santuario Original en el Domingo de Pascua The Original Shrine on Easter Sunday Das Urheiligtum am Ostersonntag
Via Crucis cerca del Santuario Original Stations of the Cross by the Original Shrine Kreuzweg beim Urheiligtum
Renovación de la Alianza en el Viernes Santo, en el Santuario Original - Hna Maria Noemí de México, jóvenes de Paraguay y Ecuador Covenant Renewal by the Original Shrine, on Good Friday: Sr. Maria Noemi, Mexico, youth from Paraguay and Ecuador. Bündnisfeier am Urheiligtum, Karfreitag: Sr. Maria Noemi, Mexiko, Jugendliche aus Paraguay und Ecuador.
Domingo de Pascua: Misa de los novios en el Santuario de las Familias Easter Sunday: Mass of the young copules in the Shrine of the families Ostersonntag: Ostermesse der Brautpaare im Heiligtum der Familien
Erika León, universitaria de Ecuador, ahora en Karlsruhe, con su madre, misionera de la Virgen Peregrina en Guayaquil Erika León, student from Ecuador, now in Karlsruhe, with her mother, missionary of the Pilgrim MTA on Guayaquil. Erika León, Studentin aus Ecuador, jetzt in Karlsruhe, mit ihrer Mutter, Missionarin der Pilgernden Gottesmutter in Guayaquil.
Fotos: POS, Fischer © 2003

SCHOENSTATT, mkf. The Easter gospels are gospels of encounter, filled with the beauty of each human encounter, with this magic of searching, asking, reaching out, recognizing, and seeing more… "I discovered something in my partner that I did not see before, and it is beautiful", said one of the participants of the Marriage Preparation Seminar that took place during these days. And like this, each of the pilgrims and visitors of Schoenstatt during these days was part of these encounters in the Covenant of Love, the central experience of Schoenstatt, were part of these Easter encounters that leave us realize - it is the Lord.

Good Friday, April 18 - Good Friday had a special accent this year! Celebrating the Covenant of Love, in a small and totally international community tonight at the Original Shrine, on the evening of Good Friday, this was a special experience. The usual Covenant Celebration in the Adoration Church was canceled, and so the Covenant Renewal was combined with the prayer of the rosary in the Original Shrine this evening. And so, on this special Covenant Day, representatives from Paraguay, Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Mexico, Poland, Croatia, and Germany, had a celebration of the 18^th similar to that of thousands who meet by the wayside shrines or in the Shrines each 18^th to pray the rosary, offer their capital of grace, and dedicate themselves and their apostolic commitment again to the Mother Thrice Admirable. Moreover, they did so at the place where all Schoenstatt people of the entire world feel at home - in the Original Shrine.

Just for this. We came just for this.

And indeed it was a special and real Covenant Day and Covenant Celebration, uniting in a very intense way the death, suffering, and resurrection of Christ that won the "capital of grace" of our redemption with the Covenant of Love that makes us participate, like and with Mary, in his surrender and victory, and that gives meaning to each of our "Good Friday" times. It was like a gentle smile of our MTA when yesterday, on a special page of the regional newspaper dedicated to the "most beautiful stations of the cross" the stations of the cross by the Original Shrine were pictured with a big photo that had the Original Shrine in the background (and a reference in the accompanying text). A real Covenant Day - early in the morning, at 8.00 AM, Bernardo from Mexico, a volunteer on Mount Sion in Schoenstatt, sealed his Covenant of Love.

"Just for this. We came just for this," two young women - Mothers' Federation, Professional Women - said a few minutes before the prayer at the Original Shrine began; they took a 45 minute ride by car to come to Schoenstatt. Schoenstatt Fathers, Schoenstatt Sisters, girls from Poland, Ecuador, and Paraguay, Schoenstatt boys from Mexico, and Chile, Brothers of Mary, young couples, a mother and her daughter from Ecuador… all united praying the rosary for peace, for the spiritual renewal of the families, and for vocations. In the Original Shrine, the tabernacle - empty - stood open; a big wooden cross was on the floor, decorated with a red rose, and candles. A number of Pilgrim MTA's was displayed on the communion rail that will start to pilgrim in Germany in the next weeks.

After the rosary, all united spiritually with all those who today or whenever spiritually visit this place of grace, with all who live in the Covenant of Love, and prayed the Little Consecration: My Queen, my Mother…

Then, Father Matthias Rummel gave the final blessing, and we sang Father Reinisch's song, so fitting on a day like this.

Don't think everybody went home then… It was a moment of special encounters - when the volunteers from Mexico greeted Sister Maria Noemi from Mexico, when Erika and her mother from Ecuador within minutes found out how Erika - who is now studying in Karlsruhe - could find a Schoenstatt Girls' Youth group "somewhere, no matter how far I have to drive", when a student from Chile studying in Mannheim learned that Mannheim has a shrine, and that the internet has a website with the addresses (and anniversaries, and …) of all the shrines of the world ! Erikas' mother, a missionary of the Pilgrim Mother, proudly showed her Calendar with words from Fr. Kentenich, and John Pozzobon, for each day of the year - a special work of the Campaign in Ecuador!

Covenant of Love at Easter Eve

Schoenstatt in these days was buzzing with pilgrims and visitors from all regions of Germany, and from other countries. The Schoenstatt Girls' Youth's Seminar for future group leaders just finished with the Covenant of Love of eight girls - four had prepared to do it and during the days spread such a joy that four others decided to also make the Covenant. Young women from Germany, and a group of the Schoenstatt Girls' Youth from Switzerland, were in House Sonnenau. A group of Professional Women from Madrid, Spain, was spending a week in Schoenstatt, also. A pilgrimage of families from Styria, and Salzburg, Austria, were here for an Easter pilgrimage. They joined in the Liturgical celebrations of Thursday and Friday. On Thursday, for the Holy Mass, the chalice of the First Holy Mass of Fr Reinisch was present thanks to them! On Good Friday, Fr. Elmar Busse, who accompanied the group, in his sermon spoke about the loneliness as part of our life, shared with Jesus in his loneliness of Good Friday. "It was a really long sermon," a young man said, "but that I only realized when it was over! I was totally fascinated with the examples, and the application to our life! That was a really good preparation for Easter!"

The group from Austria brought along, well protected in a solid wooden case, the MTA picture for a future Shrine in Styria. On Saturday morning, the group visited PressOffice Schoenstatt in order to find out about the work done there, and to get some ideas for their own web sites. "I never cared for this technical stuff", one of the men said afterwards. "But now I understand, it is not about technical, impersonal things, it is a chance to create a network of relations."

It was a special highlight of their visit when at 7:30 PM, before the Easter Vigil, two of the couples from Austria sealed their Covenant of Love in the Original Shrine. Standing in the sanctuary, they privately prayed their dedication prayer, then all joined them praying the Little Consecration: My Queen, my Mother… Despite of the silence of this day, the group afterwards clapped hands with joy, sang, laughed… There were tears, songs, and smiles of joy! Two more couples in the Covenant of Love, a special Easter gift for the Schoenstatt family movement of Austria!

Wedding Candles in the Easter Vigil

Like each year, the Easter fire was lit outside the Adoration Church, while the majority of the participants stayed inside the dark church; the families from Austria, the young women and youth from Germany and Switzerland, and the 14 young couples participating in the seminar, and some others, were outside to watch the fire and accompany the priests with the big Easter candle into the Church. A special moment was when the 14 couples, during the offering of the gifts, went ahead to offer their wedding candles, each decorated with a personal, original symbol, each one a petition that Christ may be part of their marriage, granting them faithfulness and love for ever. The congregation prayed for these future marriages.

After the Mass, it was time for greetings and encounters in the joy of the Risen Lord. Soon after this, the Spanish-speaking pilgrims shared Easter joy after their Liturgy in Spanish.

After a cold and clouded Saturday, Easter Sunday was a day with brilliant sunshine - even allowing an Easter egg hunt outside!

With all of Schoenstatt in spring beauty, with the sun, the Easter candles, the bouquets of flowers in all of the Shrines and chapels, one could really sense the Easter promise of the Risen Lord: I am with you, always - and in the wars, storms, and fights of this world and this life, I am Peace, Hope, and Life!