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Futuras hermanas de María en el andamio del futuro Santuario de Quarten Future Schoenstatt Sisters at the scaffolding of the future Shrine in Quarten Werdende Marienschwestern auf dem Gerüst des werdenden Heiligtums in Quarten |
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Testimonio de Hermanas de Maria Testimonies of Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary Zeugnis von Marienschwestern, die die Einweihung erlebt haben Fotos: Loser © 2005 |
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SWITZERLAND, Toni Loser. In September, certainly many people will celebrate the jubilee of the shrine in Quarten. However, there are very few people who have an image of what it was like at the dedication 50 years ago. Anyone who has not been around for more then half a century can only try and imagine how the people felt at that time (in 1955 there was naturally still a little tension between the neighbouring countries of Switzerland and Germany). This is why "Movement", the magazine of the Schoenstatt movement in Switzerland, has found some witnesses of the dedication and has asked them for their recollections– the results are also on schoenstatt.de!
At that time Sister Eliane Lüscher and Sister Consilia Kaiser were still in the girl's youth. They tell us: " Many joyful people expectantly walked up the narrow footpath in Quarten.. There it stood- the newly built shrine, looking very festive with all the decorations. The path was decorated with yellow and white pendants. Our new bell shone in the sunlight, it’s inscription read: "Voco Sacrum". Our joy was very great when it rang out for the first time, shouting out to the world.
After the festivities everyone was hungry. As youth, we volunteered to help serve all the people. We marvelled that everyone in the whole provincial house found a place to eat, the entire house was filled with people, to the uppermost hall. We went up and down the stairs again and again, until all the guests were served and could refresh themselves. Latter in the afternoon there was Benediction.
We left the shrine with beaming eyes and a deep joy in our hearts, but with a great longing to come again soon. Since now we had the shrine which we had waited so long for, the shrine which we had prayed and striven for."
Courageous sisters and a dumbfounded bishop
Sister Lorenza Schmid had begun the postulant only a few months before the dedication of the Shrine in Quarten. She can no longer remember the details of the celebration. However, she had observed the preparations very closely: "… it was exciting "going along with " the growing shrine. We saw the walls growing upwards, strength drag the building material into place, and of course the contributions to the capital of grace" -and some courageous sisters ventured to go up on the scaffolding of the shrine.
However, a very determining meeting will never be forgotten by Sister Lorenza. She tells us: "The long awaited November 20th was here. Everything in and around the shrine was finished on time. (...) I do not remember the course of the celebration nor the addresses, only the wonderful news which bishop Josephus Meile announced: "Now we not only have a Schoenstatt Shine on Swiss land, but we also have a Swiss Province Superior, Sr. Fridolinde Schmuckli, from Glarn ".
Like a flash, an idea came to me. It was now or never. I gathered my courage and ventured it! Bravely I went up to the bishop and said: "Your Excellency, it is miraculous that we now have a Schoenstatt Shrine on Swiss ground. Till the present the clothing receptions of our community have always been in Schoenstatt. Despite this, my course members do not wish to go to Germany. Your Excellency if THEY had our reception HERE, certainly everyone would agree and be very pleased."( Possibly the postulant's relatives would be unwilling to travel to Germany). A dramatic pause followed. Then bishop Meile smiled and asked, "When is the clothing reception?" I answered, "During Lent of next year, on the 4th of March, 1956." The bishop turned to his secretary and ask whether he was free during that time. This was affirmed, and the bishop answered, smiling again, "I will gladly perform the clothing reception". Applause and cheering from the postulants and the bystanders broke out. Thus the tradition that began on this day: The Swiss are received in Quarten."
Taken from the movement magazine of the Schoenstatt movement in Switzerland (used with kind permission).
Translation: Kelsie Bias, USA