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En agradecida memoria: Misa de la Familia de Schoenstatt por el Santo Padre In grateful memory: Mass of the Schoenstatt Family for the Holy Father In dankbarer Erinnerung: Gottesdienst der Schönstattfamilie für den Heiligen Vater |
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Jueves, 19.00 hs., Iglesia de la Adoración: la familia de Schoenstatt recuerda a Juan Panlo II Thursday, 7.00 PM, Adoration Church: the Schoenstatt family thanks for John Paul II Donnerstag, 19.00 Uhr, Anbetungskirche: die Schönstattfamilie dankt für Johannes Paul II |
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Testimonio: Hna Rosa Maria Lamberti Testimony: Sr. Rosa Maria Lamberti Zeugnis: Schw. Rosa Maria Lamberti |
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Testimonio: Stefanie Gerber Testimony: Stefanie Gerber Zeugnis: Stefanie Gerber |
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Voluntarios Volunteers Voluntäre |
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La Iglesia de la Adoración llena de fieles The Adoration Church was filled Die Anbetungskirche war gut gefüllt |
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Imagen del Santo Padre en la Iglesia de Adoración Picture of the Holy Father in the Adoration Church Großes Bild des Heiligen Vaters in der Anbetungskirche |
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SCHOENSTATT, mfk. "None of us will ever forget that on that last Easter Sunday of his life, he looked out the window of the Apostolic Palace at the Vatican one more time and he imparted the blessing "Urbi et Orbi" (to the city and world) for the last time. " We can be sure that our beloved Pope is now in the window of the House of the Father, he sees us and he blesses us". These words from the homily of Cardinal Ratzinger in the Mass celebrated for the Holy Father on the day of his burial, were not destined to receive an ovation from the multitude that filled St. Peter's Square, but in a certain way the same was experienced in the Holy Mass celebrated for the Holy Father which gathered the Schoenstatt Movement in the Adoration Church Thursday afternoon. Before the altar, a big picture of the Pope with his typical smile - that illness almost stole from him during the the last years-welcomed the representatives of the Schoenstatt Family.
To the right of this picture, the volunteers of the office of Schoenstatt for World Youth Day, who are usually dressed in bright colors and informal style, appeared with black jackets, an eloquent sign of mourning for the Pope, whom they loved so much.As Stephanie Gerber said, they wanted to continue taking care of "with an increasing commitment", the inheritance received from the Holy Father: the World Youth Day. The representatives of the media, who were speechless at the "spontaneity of World Day Youth" which began in Rome, have named this youth "who have come to bid farewell to their Father", as the unprotected "JPII Generation". The Schoenstatt Fathers, the General Office of the Institute of Diocesan Priests, and the Federation Priests, gathered in the Adoration Church. The main celebrant was Monsignor Peter Wolf, and Father Angel Strada, Father, Dr. Lothar Penners, Monsignor Zimmerer and Father Rudi Liebig, were with him at the altar. Accompanying the celebration was a choir of Sisters of Mary and the volunteers of World Youth Day sang their hymn and other songs.
"What is it that especially ties Schoenstatt to him?
In his homily Father Penners asked what is it that has so strongly bonded us, the Schoenstatters, with the person and the pontificate of John Paul II. In the universal Schoenstatt Family the mourning for his death can be preceived. "The Schoenstatt Family discovered a certain spiritual affinity in several main points, not necessarily in all. Additionally, over the years, an ever closer contact developed with Rome and also with him". As examples he mentioned: the work of the Sisters of Mary in Rome; the close ties of the Martin family (leaders of the International Federation for couples) and of Cardinal Errazuriz with the the Holy Father. The international pilgrimage on the occasion of the blessing of the Matri Ecclesiae Shrine last September, was an expression of this "movement towards Rome" as also the strong experience of the audience of the 9th of September in Castelgandolfo.
Among the many gifts that this pontificate has made to Schoenstatt, Father Penners stressed that John Paul II explicitly desired that Father Kentenich's process for beatification continue, he conceded an exemption to the Secular Instittues of Schoenstatt allowing that they would fully have the kind of bonds that Founder had wanted. In Fulda he mentioned Father Kentenich as one of the more important priestly personalities of his time. We owe him special gratitude for his words at the encounter that theInternational Schoenstatt Family had with him in 1985, referring to the Covenant of Love as being original to Schoenstatt. He said: "If you form your life by this Covenant, you will reach the plenitude of your Christian vocation " Schoenstatt also found its place and understanding of its charism in his wide vision of the Movements as a new Springtime for the Church
Marian, Catholic and as such also ecumenical
" The openness of spirit for Mary gave him a passion for the human and for the divine", that is how Father Penners described the Pope's Marian spirit. He continued, saying, precisely what makes him so close to us is the self-understanding of how he lived and announced his union with Mary. Just like Father Kentenich, Karol Wojtyla also found in Mary the bonds that gave him security and vigor. The profound experience of this bond with the Persons of the hereafter can also be decisvie for human development, it coincides with the experience, practice and doctrine of Father Kentenich of the universal organism of bonds.
The openness to the spirit of Mary, said Father Penners, gave him the opennes for the human, for truth, for life, for the mystic and the transmission of the faith and the disposition for dialogue, and he gave them the human qualities whose attractiveness could fascinate: cordiality, affability, firmness of spirit, and spontaneity of manner.
"His thinking and his heart revolved around man", affirmed Father Penners. His words before the new beginning of the history of faith in Germany, pronounced in the year 1980 were the initial spark to make the Covenant of Love for our people in 1984. They were also the beginning of a stronger integration of Schoenstatt into the currents of life of the Church, first, participating actively and then contributing silently - like yeast- and finally in a mature co-responsibility, Schoenstatt could and wanted to give its experience with the work with currents and processes of life in the preparation for the year 2000: a kind of pastoral work that the Pope introduced into the Church. What was already customary for Schoenstatt was something new for the Her. (the Church)
He himself has been transformed into a sign
He himself has been tranformed into a sign, concluded Father Penners in his homily, which was followed by several testimonies stressing that character of being a sign.
He is a sign for all the family, is how Elisabeth and Bernhard Neiser defined the work of the Pope just as they had experienced it.
He is a sign for the search of the personal vocation and of love of Christ: Sister Christa-Maria Bruck gave a personal testimony of an encounter with the Holy Father: participating in a Holy Mass he celebrated in his private Chapel and the talk with him afterwards, marked her life in youth and it marked the way to indivisibly serve Christ and the Church.
He is a sign of peace: Sister Rosa Maria Lamberti, from Argentina, valued the Holy Father's intervention, which avoided a war between Argentina and Chile.
He is a symbol for the youth: Stefanie Gerber spoke on behalf of the Schoenstatt Youth, who is committed to conserve the inheritance of World Youth Day and to work for it "with more commitment than up to now". With text and phrases of the Pope after communion, and with the renewal of the Covenant of Love after the blessing, the Holy Mass, that the Schoenstatt Family offered on the eve of the funeral of the Holy Father, ended, gathered around him and united with the universal Church.
Translation: aat, Argentina