18 de enero de 2004 en Schoenstatt, primer día 18 del año 2004 January 18, 2004, in Schoenstatt - first Covenant Day of the year 18. Januar 2004 in Schönstatt, erster Bündnistag des Jahres 2004
Miles de estrellas, llevadas personalmente por miles de visitantes y enviadas por correo electrónico por cientos de personas desde más de 30 países Thousands of stars, brought personally by thousands of visitors, and sent via mail by hundreds, from over 30 countries Tausende von Sternen, persönlich zur Krippe gerbacht und von Hunderten per E-Mail geschickt, aus über 30 Ländern
Sobre con el capital de gracias de la familia de La paz, Bolivia Envelope with the capital of grace of the family of La Paz, Bolivia Umschlag mit dem Gnadenkapital der Schönstattfamilie von La Paz, Bolivien
Se quemaron los papeles con los aportes al capital de gracias, junto con las estreallas The slips of paper with the contributions to the capital of grace were burnt, together with the stars Zusammen mit den Zetteln mit den Beiträgen zum Gnadenkapital wurden die Sterne verbrannt
Fuego de entraga, compromiso, misión ... Fire of commitment, mission, gifts... Feuer der Begeisterung, der Treue, der neuen Bereitschaft...
Te y galletitas Tea and cookies at the end Zum Schluss gab es noch Tee und Plätzchen
El Santaurio Original, 18 de enero de 2004 In the Original Shrine, January 18, 2004 Im Urheiligtum am 18. Januar 2004 Fotos: POS Fischer © 2004
También en Concepción del Uruguay se llenan las Tinajas del Santuario Matri Ecclesiae Also in Concepción del Uruguay the jars are filled for the Matri Ecclesiae Shrine in Rome Auch hier in Concepción del Uruguay werden die Krüge gefüllt für das Matri Ecclesiae-Heiligtum in Rom Foto: Lopez © 2004
Desde el Santuario en Rosario: oración por el Congreso General de las Sacerdotes de Schoenstatt From the Shrine in Rosario: prayer support for the General Congress of the Schoenstatt Diocesan Priests Vom Heiligtum in Rosario aus: Gebetsbegleitung für den Generalkongress der Diözesanpriester Foto: Lavini © 2003
Fotos: © 2004

SCHOENSTATT, mkf. Each 18th has a special touch. January 18th is the day of the Covenant "between", as Fr. Lothar Penners said during the celebration in Schoenstatt, Christmas times –deeply marked by the stars taken by thousands of visitors and by hundreds of people from 30 different countries and via the internet, and the 20^th of January, the anniversary of that day in 1942, when Fr. Kentenich in a "leap of faith" and loving of freedom, gave by love his freedom in exchange for the inner freedom of his family This is the day, Fr. Penners said, between the "sparks of faith" represented by the star, and Father Kentenich’s great light of faith in what illuminates the history of Schoenstatt on January 20, 1942.

This day of Covenant in Schoenstatt was a sunny day with a clear blue sky. January 20, 1942 was a Sunday, and many pilgrims came to the Original Shrine encouraged by this beautiful day. Each 18th, thousands of Schoenstatt members make themselves present spiritually, delivering their Capital of Grace offerings, renewing their Covenant of Love – a flow of love that is perceivable this day in the Original Shrine. January 18^th was not only felt, but it was also seen: on the altar there was a large envelope that came from La Paz, Bolivia. In it, there was the Capital of Grace contribution from the Bolivian Family. Carina Montes, from the Mother’s Branch brought the envelope when she traveled to Germany with the expressed request from the Bolivian Family to burn the papers with the contributions for the capital of grace on January 18^th in Schoenstatt. So it happened! Lizzie Loetz, leader of the Mother’s branch in La Paz said, "Yesterday "I spiritually flew" to Vallendar to be present for the burning of our Capital of Grace". More wonderful news is that Lucía Alípaz and Lizzette Pinto had their farewell before they went to their novitiate in Bellavista, in Chile. The Blessed Mother "was very generous" with these great gifts for the Schoenstatt Movement of La Paz. We needed them!!

Being Part of the General Council on Mount Moriah

 The 18^th of January also marked the beginning on Mount Moriah, Schoenstatt, of the General Council of the Diocesan Schoenstatt Priests Institute. A total of 30 members from 8 different countries gathered for a week (through the 24^th). They will meet again between August and September, and lastly in January of 2005. They have asked for prayers for their reflections and decision making. The answer came quickly through messages from diverse communities, branches and dioceses, as well as from personal messages from a missionary from Panama, a couple from Chile, a professional woman from Germany, a Sister from Argentina. Sally Le Roy, from Arizona, USA writes, "I left the intention in our Home Shrine, ‘Mother of Good Advice’". Alan Sosa, Missionary of the Movement writes, "I am a Diocesan seminarian for the San Luis diocese, in Argentina. From here I will be praying so Our Lord illuminate and fill you with His spirit to be able to discern what our Celestial Father is preparing for you. Count on my prayers and capital of grace contributions". (More is available)

From the "Holy Trinity, with Mary, Heart of the Church Shrine" in Rosario, Argentina, Maia de Hary said, "Yesterday, January 18^th, we gathered as we do every day of the Covenant to offer one hour of adoration to the Blessed Sacrament, followed by a family gathering. One of the intentions of this adoration was for the Diocesan Priests' Council, since this community is the guarantor of this Shrine, and some of its priests are part of this diocesan Family, generating an affective bond that caused that everyone present there to take this intention in their personal prayers during this month.

As January the 20^th was approaching, we remembered our father and found, which recalled the second milestone in the Schoenstatt Family. It touches us to witness how on a day like this, extremely hot, the Mater calls her pilgrim children, giving them graces and showing them the Schoenstatt world. The gathering finished with the burning of the capital of grace offerings, and burying its ashes by the Shrine’s shade, chanting and smiling"

Fill the jars

The Gospel, on Sunday January 18^th was the wedding at Cana: Fill the jars. On this first Covenant day of the year, prayers were specifically so the Blessed Mother could bless from her Shrine, with the Father, what the Schoenstatt Family wants to give through them to the world this year that just begins. First, the Rome Matri Ecclesiae, to be blessed on September the 8^th. The Shrine is being built by the Schoenstatt International Family. This is the Shrine that the Mater gave to Father Kentenich in 1965, and now is being built. There will be many that will personally attend that day. As of today, we know of pilgrimages from Germany, Australia, Chile, Argentina, Paraguay, but it will be all of us that will fill the jars with the water of love for Mary and the Church. (more)

The idea is to encourage the Capital of Grace "for the greatest apostolic work ever" and to motivate everyone from every country. We must demonstrate to the Mother Thrice Admirable that we love Her!

Mariela Gazza, from Concepcion de Uruguay, Province of Entre Rios, Argentina wrote, "You cannot imagine how much I’d love to be there on September and be able to fill up a jar with all the love I have for the Mother". Mrs. Gazza is the "mother of a child missionary of the Mater". Through his teacher she was introduced to Schoenstatt last April. As Father Penners said, we fall in love with Her every day, and it happens to me, "every day my love for Mary grows bigger. But be aware that even from right here I will give to the Mater a great big jar filled with Capital of Grace and all my love".

We must remember also all the future shrines that are to be built and blessed this year all over the world: (Garanhums, Brazil; Brig./Switzerland; Bangalore, India; God willing also in Nigeria, and Miami, Florida); also those shrines that celebrate their Golden Jubilee: first the Exile Shrine in Milwaukee; the projects from the Schoenstatt Family or those projects that contributes to; the John Pozzobon’s century anniversary; the arrival of the cross with the image of the Schoenstatt Blessed Mother, for the World Youth Journey, in October…

Sparks of Faith: Thousands of stars

As it is customary, the Schoenstatt Family gathered in the Adoration Church at 7:30 pm, where you can still see the manger. The baskets with thousands of names of people who are in pain due to sickness, work related problems, family problems…, written with confidence, with faith, with hope… and they were in the manger. Father Penners, in his "words of the 18^th, said it is always good to see the image, the person of the Virgin, to prevent words about Her and the Covenant life from vanishing. The idea is to fall in love with HER. Today’s Gospel shows us Mary in the wedding at Cana, as Christ’s collaborator; it talks about the jars that are filled with water so Christ can turn them into wine; it makes us look at the "jars servants", those who took and filled the jars … our work in the Covenant! Each time we take and fill a jar, it is a leap of faith. A leap of faith that makes us contemplate on the earth the Glory of God.

Following this, those present renewed the Covenant, along with all who that day renewed their Covenant in their Shrines, chapels… Like every 18^th, they went to the foyer of the Church, where the capital of grace contribution papers were burnt along with the stars that had thousands of names, those were deposited or sent via e-mails.

The joy of the 18^th

The small Zimbabwe Schoenstatt Family, who currently is suffering along with its fellow countrymen the political oppression and economic national crisis, celebrated the Covenant day for the first time. They have a new place where the altar for the future Shrine will be. The elderly couple who guarded it in their home for years, had to move away and Sheila Coleman, from the Mothers’ Federation offered her home to the Mater.

About 70 youth from the Spain University Youth Group had a happy return home from the 7^th Schoenstatt Mission, in northern Spain, where there is a huge longing to have a shrine. The Argentinean Girls Youth group also returned with wonderful experiences from their National Camping trip in Mar del Plata.

Youth from Chile, Paraguay, Spain and Argentina are mountain climbing at this time in the Andes, between Mendoza and Santiago de Chile. On Saturday January 17th there was published an article with pictures and testimonies about this event in the La Nacion, a prominent newspaper in Argentina. 

On January 18th, the ACI Press reported about the solidarity scholarships from the Denequi Foundation in Paraguay. Denequi was founded by a youth group from the Schoenstatt Movement in 1985. 

Greetings of January 20^th

Schoenstatt was covered with snow on January 19^th, creating a Christmas scene, given that there were numerous houses still decorated with Christmas trees with candles. Father’s tomb is decorated with roses and lilies, and a basket that can barely can hold the letters sent to Father Kentenich from Argentina, Panama, Ecuador, Brazil, Spain, the United States, Chile, Bolivia, Australia and more countries greeting him for January the 20^th.

On January 20^th at 9:00 a.m. a Holy Mass was celebrated in Spanish the Original Shrine, where one of the girls who has been in Schoenstatt for three months sealed her blank check surrender. In the evening, all the Congress participants, along with all the Fathers from the Sion Province concelebrated the festive Mass in honor of the anniversary of the second milestone of the Schoenstatt Family. Mass was celebrated at 7:30 p.m. in the Adoration Church, so that many could participate.

Translation: Vera Gamez, Austin, Texas, USA/Paula Dudgeon, Minnesota, USA

Pictures of January 18^th in Schoenstatt: http://www.pixum.de/viewalbum/?id=1135058

Pictures of Christmas: http://www.pixum.de/viewalbum/?id=1098983