Peregrinos de Francia en la tumba del Padre, 2 de agosto de 2003 Pilgrims from France in the Founder Chapel, August 2, 2003 Pilger aus Frankreich in der Gründerkapelle, 2. August 2003
Eduardo y Karin Mas, Puerto Montt, Chile, Federación de Familias, con el P. Marcelo Aravena, Chile,  en Sonnenau Eduardo and Karin Mas, Puerto Montt, Chile, Federation of Families, on the day of their arrival, in House Sonnenau, with Father Marcelo Aravena Eduardo und Karin Mas, Puerto Montt, Familienbund, am Tag ihrer Ankuft in Haus Sonnenau, mit P. Marcelo Aravena
Santa Misa "a la sombra del Santuario Tabor", 6 de agosto de 2003 Holy Mass "in the shadow of the Tabor Shrine", August 6, 2003 Heilige Messe "im Schatten des Taborheiligtums" am 6. August 2003
La Misa continuó en el Santuario Tabor The Mass continued in the Tabor Shrine Die Messe wurde im Tabor-Heiligtum fortgesetzt
P. Manuel María Roldán Roses, Andalucía, primer miembro del Instituto de Sacerdotes Diocesanos en España Fr. Manuel María Roldán Roses, Andalucía, first member of the Schoenstatt Institute of Diocesan Priests in Spain Pfr. Fr. Manuel María Roldán Roses, Andalusien, erstes Mitglied des Schönstatt-Instituts Diözesanpriester in Spanien
Rosario Iluminado en la Iglesia de la Adoración: dos jóvenes se turnaron para entregar rosas a cada uno – depositadas luego en el rosario Illumined Rosary in the Adoration Church: two boys took turns offering a rose to each one - to place it in the rosary Lichter-Rosenkranz in der Anbetungskirche: zwei Jungen wechselten sich eifrig dabei ab, den Betern ihre  Rose für den Rosenkranz persönlich in die Hand zu geben.
Rosario Iluminado: rezando por necesidades concretas de personas concretas, encomendando todo al cariño de la Mater y su Hijo… Illumined Rosary: praying for concrete needs of concrete persons, entrusting all to the love of the Blessed Mother and her Son. Lichter-Rosenkranz: Herr, ich bringe dir die Welt und deine Menschen…
Encuentro tras el rosario en el Santuario Original: miembros de la Federación de Familias de Alemania, Chile y Argentina Meeting after the Rosary in the Original Shrine: Members of the Federation of Families from Germany, Chile, and Argentina Spontanes Treffen nach dem Rosenkranz im Urheiligtum: Mitglieder des Familienbundes aus Deutschland, Chile und Argentinien
Rosario "al aire libre" junto al Santuario Original "Open Air" Rosary by the Original Shrine "Open Air"-Rosenkranz beim Urheiligtum
Cantando en el Santuario Original, durante el Rosario Singing in the Original Shrine during the rosary Ein Lied im Urheiligtum beim Rosenkranz Fotos: POS Fischer © 2003
Foto del Encuentro Continental de la Federación de Familias en Tuparendá, Paraguay Photo of the Continental Meeting of the Federation of Families in Tuparenda, Paraguay Kam gleichzeitig mit Ehepaar Mas an: Photo vom Kontinentalen Treffen des Familienbundes in Paraguay Foto: Tuparenda 2003 © 2003

SCHOENSTATT, mkf. "Let us offer our sweat to the Capital of Grace," Father Hermann Gebert suggested to the participants of the Mass in Tabor Shrine on the Feast of Transfiguration. Sure that thus the Capital of Grace was heavily nourished during these past days. One of the hottest weeks in one of the hottest summers Germany faced in decades saw visitors, pilgrims, and those who live in Schoenstatt starting to sweat, united in the wish for lower temperatures… Anyway, on the weekend of August 8/9, it was hardly possible to get a room in Schoenstatt, more than 400 people united in the scorching hot Adoration Church for an Illumined Rosary, the daily rosary by the Original Shrine turned into an "Open Air Rosary", and visitors and pilgrims from Chile, Argentina, Poland, Hungary, Paraguay, Ecuador, France, Czech Republic, Austria, India, Spain, Brazil, Puerto Rico enjoyed the (a bit too) warm welcome Schoenstatt gave to them.

On August 2, a group of young people from the Cote d'Azur and Normandy, France, came to Schoenstatt during their Karl Leisner pilgrimage. Among them were some male and female members of a recently founded religious community. Father Hermann Gebert, Schoenstatt Institute of Diocesan Priests, and Pierre Laurent Bagnières, French novice of the Schoenstatt Fathers, gave them a tour of Schoenstatt. When they came to the Adoration Church at 2:45 PM, they found it filled to capacity with Schoenstatt Sisters - and one of the first of these many hundreds they saw was Sr Michela Schon, from Cambrai, France: a big mutual joy! Father Gebert later shared, that a new parish in France chose Karl Leisner as their patron.

On August 3, the General Chapter of the Schoenstatt Fathers began, with altogether 42 participants, representing the international community. The Spanish Holy Mass in the House Chapel of the Father House at Mount Sion, and even more the joyful noise caused by the socializing afterwards, made clear that a number of Fathers present were greeted with enthusiasm by compatriots, may they live in Germany or had just arrived like the majority of them.

From Puerto Montt via Tuparenda to Schoenstatt

On August 6, Feast of the Transfiguration of Jesus (still close to 40° C), Eduardo and Karin Mas arrived to Schoenstatt, coming from the American Continental Meeting of the Federation of Families in Tuparenda, Paraguay - filled with enthusiasm and excitement both with the meeting as with the prospect of visiting the Original Shrine for the first time. Eduardo would already frequently have had the chance to come, due to business travels to Europe, but wanted to wait for Karin to be able to share the moment of first touching the place of grace from which the stream of love and life is flowing and returning to its source since October 18, 1914. The Mas are from Puerto Montt in Southern Chile, and one of the first correspondents of PressOffice Schoenstatt - and sure well used the opportunity to get to know the place where "schoenstatt.de is made", and get some new motivations for their activity as correspondents in Puerto Montt. "It is a special joy to pray here for our children, for their vocation in life", they shared. It was a special joy also to meet other Chilean Schoenstatt members, among them Father Marcelo Aravena, rector of Mount Sion, who the day before they left took them on a tour to Gymnich, the birth-place of Father Kentenich.

It was still hot when the Holy Mass began at the Tabor Shrine, the Shrine of the Men's branches, at 7:00 PM, on August 6, Feast of the Transfiguration. The Koblenz group of the Schoenstatt Men's League had invited to celebrate the Patronage of the Shrine with a time of Adoration and the rosary, and the Holy Mass, that was concelebrated by Fr. Hermann Gebert, and Fr. Manuel María Roldán Roses, from Seville, first (and only) member of the Schoenstatt Institute of Diocesan Priests in Spain. The Mass started, literally, in the shadow of the Shrine, outside. After Mass, the Men's League, together with the Men's Federation, and the Brothers of Mary, offered refreshments. It was a joyful sharing among the participants from Germany, Brazil, Burundi, Argentina, and Spain. Father Manuel shared about his vocation to Schoenstatt and the miracles that the Pilgrim Mother works in his parish in Villa Nueva del Rio y Minas, in Andalucia.

Illumined Rosary in the Adoration Church

Actually, they did not think that many would participate in the Illumined Rosary: The Professional Women's League from Northern Germany, once again, a part of their weekend retreat, offered an Illumined Rosary in the Adoration Church on August 9, 2003. In the morning, two of them had bought a big amount of mineral water to offer afterwards… the Mineral water did not run out, but so did the brochures: more than 400 persons came! Among them a pilgrimage from Eichsfeld, Germany, with Father Paul Graf, the participants of a retreat of the Schoenstatt Mothers' of the Diocese of Limburg, and families from the diocese of Würzburg who had a retreat in the House of the Families. A young couple came from Bad Kreuznach, and asked for more information and material as they would like to introduce the Illumined Rosary in their parish. Eduardo and Karin Mas would like to offer it in Puerto Montt: "Our Schoenstatt family there is still so small, but this would be a simple way to offer a really deep religious experience by the Shrine each month," they said. Joblessness, broken marriages, severely sick children, parents, and friends - these were the petitions most frequently expressed as participants came ahead to pray their Hail Mary. The General Chapter of the Schoenstatt Fathers, the ordination of the first Schoenstatt Father from Burundi in come September, the Schoenstatt Rosary Campaign in Senegal, Argentina, Brazil was named also, as the crown of roses and lights was growing at the steps of the altar, with the Auxiliary at the place where Father Kentenich stood during his first holy Mass in this Church, the last Holy Mass he celebrated in life, on September 15, 1968.

The Hail Mary were prayed in Italian, Spanish, Polish, and German. "It was a special experience to see the many people approach, pray, light their candle, and place their rose beside - as I had seen so frequently in the Campaign in Argentina", a missionary of the Campaign in Argentina said.

Gift for Gift - half an hour for the Original Shrine

In House Sonnenau, on August 8, 2003, the Annual Leaders' Meeting of the Schoenstatt Girls' Youth began, that lasted until August 15.

Thirteen Fathers from the General Chapter of the Schoenstatt Fathers participated on Monday, August 10, in the Mass celebrated for Sr. M. Gertraude Öhler, who died on August 5, 2003, at Liebfrauenhöhe. As Sr. M. Jacoba Kesselheim, General Superior, put it at the beginning of the Mass, Sr. M. Gertraude has worked with high commitment and in a very fruitful and responsible way in the many years of representing the Schoenstatt Sisters' of Mary in the General Presidium.

The upcoming 75^th anniversary of the Covenant Home was perceived already during this week; from Puerto Rico, Hilda Pagan already arrived, widow of Jesús Pagan; for years, the Pagan lived in close contact with Fr. Kentenich in Milwaukee, and brought Schoenstatt to Puerto Rico. In her first travel to Schoenstatt since the death of her husband, after the Spanish Holy Mass, she met a Schoenstatt Sister from Puerto Rico, and a missionary of the Campaign in Argentina in whose house Jesús Pagan had been… Special gifts of the MTA!

The "Open Air" Rosary at the Original Shrine, prayed each day at 7:30 PM, unites persons from different branches and countries in their common home, including Pallottines, and chance visitors from Vallendar. "Even as I don't understand the German prayers, I enjoy to listen and pray in my language," a Schoenstatt member from Argentina said, and Martina Rasch, Germany, added: "It is still so special to join in this prayer in the Original Shrine, and represent here all those whom I promised my prayers." Fathers from the General Chapter could be seen during this rosary, inspiring those present to pray for the Chapter. The Professional Women from Germany who on Friday, August 8, had just arrived for their meeting, joyfully greeted Mr. Arendes, who had enkindled their love for John Pozzobon, while Eduardo and Karin Mas hurried to greet P. Luis Ramirez, and Eduardo Aguirre, from Chile.

On August 13, 2003, young women from Hungary, Poland, and the Czech Republic, presently in House Regina with the Ladies of Schoenstatt, contributed songs in their languages - with the typical warm, melancholic tone of the Eastern European countries -, and lead three decades in their languages. A special joy for a number of young Czech and Polish people who almost each night are present. "What a joy had that been for the Schoenstatt mothers from the Czech Republic who are here in House Marienland," one of the participants said. "The contribution of the young women was so beautiful," someone said. "They offered half a hour of their time here and gave it to the Original Shrine, as an answer to the many gifts we receive from this special place of grace. Maybe an inspiration of other groups, or pilgrimages!"