The media’s information about Schoenstatt at WYD


Das ZDF dreht am Schönstattheiligtum in Köln

Intervievpartner für das ZDF vor dem Heiligtum ...

... und am Englingstein

Pause am Schönstatttreffpunkt

Interesse der Medien

Rosenkranz live für "Radio Horeb"
Fotos: © 2005

WYD –SHOENSTATT, eka. No, I do not have time for an interview , responded Father Lothar Herter, who was in a hurry and running. Today he feels like a hero from a western, he says, as he pulls out his two weapons: a cell phone in the left hand, and a cell phone in his right hand. Then he disappears to enter the set of a talkshow. For Schoenstatt, Tuesday, has been a dedicated to the media at WYD: it started with the television station ZDF in the Shrine of Cologne, then a team from the radio in the Church of the Holy Trinity, a Schoenstatt Father was on a talkshow and then all of a sudden, a Rosary for "Radio Mary"And that is not all…

My father always said: it time for you to find a nice girl, Father Lothar Herter relates on TV. "Then I asked myself Me, fall in love? I fell in love once, but the girl was not in love with me, and the next time the opposite happened.

That is how the decision to become a priest and to stay single came about, for me it was part of my biography, of understanding the voice of God in the events of my life. On the other hand there was always the interior feeling that this was my way in life. I have never had one moment in which I have thought that I did not like this, that I didn’t want it.

The directors were concentrating: Can you turn the camera a little to the right, so that Father will be in the picture?" The cameraman carefully directed the camera in the right direction, Father Lothar Herter is one of the four guests in a round of interviews for "WYD –TV". "Today is thea subject is one that mobilizes society: the Catholic Church and its future", says the moderator. "Concretely, it is about the question: "is celibacy necessary today?"

"If one wants to be a priest it is really the question of vocation and it does not depend on whether celibacy exists or not, if it is correct or not, says Father Lothar. "When Christ calls someone to follow him,that call simultaneously calls for a celibate life, then that is what is good for that person. It is a very fascinating way of life, in which no one is diminished, but is completely fulfilled in a unique way."

"WYD –TV" is on the air 12 hours daily on the Internet. Seventy volunteers of the WYD prepare the varied programming. Marcus Marschalek, the person responsible for the project, says: "There are 500 to 3,000 who see the events live. With the offer of "video on demand" it reaches some 40 to 50 thousand more." "Video on demand" means that each station can see any moment through the Internet, on www.weltjgendtag.tv. Of course the conversation with Father Lothar Herther can be seen on that site.

"At the beginning I was very nervous" "Meanwhile, in the Office of project WYD, Schoenstatt is well known because we are very committed. This is probably the reason we were asked if we could send one of ours to the "Tertulia" of WYD –TV" said Father Lothar Herter. "Before responding, I thought about whether I wanted to do it or not, because I am very busy with other WYD tasks. It was my first time on television. I was a little unsure about where to look. Since the moderator was ready with his introduction, it came to the level of being more nervous. I was seated as if someone was going to attack. But after a few phrases everything was better. It is like a homily: if it begins well, the rest gets better". He was satisfied: "I wanted to mention a couple of points at any cost. I was able to mention all of them."

Station ZDF was here

The talkshow was not the only time Schoenstatt was on television on the day of WYD.

That same day (Tuesday) at 7:30 a.m., a team of reporters from ZDF went to the Shrine of Cologne. "They were there for approximately an hour, filming the beginning and the end of the Holy Mass and then they did some interviews", said Achim Schadt, from the press office of the Schoenstatt Youth. The program will be transmitted on Thursday, during ZDF’s reports about the papal visit. In this program Schoenstatt as well the Movements and the New Communities of the Catholic Church will be presented as groups that have strongly forged WYD. Jurgen Erbacher, the editor in charge –who made the interviews- knows Schoensatt through the excellent contact with the Schoenstatt Press Office and through an exclusive interview in Schoenstatt itself within the framewaork of the Summer Academy of Vatican Radio.

An unexpected Rosary

Schoenstatt cannot only be seen on televsion, it can also be heard on the radio. The private, Christian Radio station "Radio Mary" (that is called Radio Horeb in German) sent a group of interviewers to the Church of the Holy Trinity, to interview the Schoenstatters bout Schoenstatt. And the Schoenstatt Girls’ Youth from Friburg had to pray the Rosary in 40 minutes so it could be transmitted live on "Radio Mary"! With barely and hour and a half before the appointed time for the transmission the girls contacted the radio station to tell them that they were in the stadium of Cologne for the opening Eucharist and they would have to cross a mass of humanity therefore, they were unable to arrive on time for the transmission.With quick telephone intervention they were able to find some Schoenstatters with guitars (some of them were in bed) who had not gone to the opening Eucharist, to play until the girls could arrive. The Rosary began eight minutes late.

More about Schoenstatt

It is very probable that "Radio Mary" will transmit the catequesis of Monsignor Zollitsch, the Schoenstatt Archbishop, that will take place on Friday in the Church of the Holy Trinity. In a couple of days, an interview with Jose Luis Fontclara, Schoenstatter from Paraguay, and a volunteer who worked in Cologne for a long time will be heard on "Destsche Welle" - the biggest radio station outside of Germany The station titled the interview: "With God in the suitcase"

In the print media

Last weekend, the newspaper, "Kolner Rundschau" published an article about Father Kentenich’s home that was remodeled on the outside, and it also mentioned the Shrine in Cologne.

The Sunday bulletin of Rottenbert-Stuttgard searched for persons from Rottenberg-Stuttgart to interview, the team of editors finally arrived at the Church of the Holy Trinity.

And this was only the first part…

The interest of the media concerning the Schoenstatt activities of WYD continues. The station, KTV, a private, Catholic channel from Austria, asked if they could transmit the catequesis that will be presented on Friday, which was entrusted to Schoenstatt. And Radio 10 from the city of Rosary, Argentina, asked the Press Office for Spanish speaking Schoenstatters that could be interviewed. We would gladly like to transmit this for the closing of the information for the purpose of giving a general impression about WYD, the editor, Cecilia Crende, explained. I want to interview Schoenstatters, who will undoubtedly give some interesting answers.

And this is not all. On Friday, Nicolas Frias, from the Boys’ Youth of Chile, will be one of the 12 young men who will have breakfast with the Pope, will give an exclusive interview to schoenstatt.de after the news conference – it can be heard that afternoon on

www.schoenstattblog.blogspot.com and it can be read on schoenstatt.de on Saturday!

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