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 published: 2006-01-10

"In the Middle of a Miracle"

Beyond a simple memory

El Padre en medio de su familia

The Father called his family together

Pater Kentenich war die Mitte der weihnachtlichen Feier

 

Padre Kentenich en la aula del Colegio de Maria, 24 de diciembre de 1965

Father Kentenich in the hall of St. Mary’s School, December 24, 1965

Pater Kentenich in der Aula der Marienschule, 24. Dezember 1965

 
 

Testimonio: P. Bodo Erhard

Testimony: Fr. Bodo Erhard

Zeugnis: P. Bodo Erhard

 
 

Testimonio: Hna M Briga

Testimony: Sr M. Briga

Zeugnis: Schwester M. Briga

 
 

Fue un encuentro de la família en y con el Padre

It was an encounter of the family in and with the Father

Es war eine Begegnung der Familie im Vater und mit ihm

 

Testimonio: las Sras Jost y Klein

Testimony: Mrs. Jost and Mrs. Klein

Zeugnis: Frau Jost und Frau Klein

 

Encuentro familiar despues de la celebracion: Hna M Jacoba con Marianne Mertke (de espalda)

Family encounter after the celebration: Sr. Jacoba with Maríanne Mertke (back)

Familienhafte Begegnung nach der Feier: Schw. Jacoba im Gespräch mit Marianne Mertke (Rücken)

Fotos: POS Fischer © 2006

Albúm de fotos – photoalbum – Fotoalbum

 

SCHOENSTATT,mkf. "I was in the middle of a miracle!" are the exact words with which Sr. M. Briga described her experience of Christmas Eve 1965. "Me too," said a young woman who had traveled for a couple of hours just to be present that afternoon in the auditorium of the Adoration Church to experience this uncommon family encounter. "Me too!"

The two celebrations which took place for this reason correspond with each other. On the 24th of December in the afternoon, the Schoenstatt Family gathered at the Original Shrine to celebrate – praying and giving thanks for – the "Miracle of the Holy Night." It was Father Kentenich’s return after fourteen years of exile. On Saturday, January 7th, was the presentation by the witnesses. The Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary prepared this "family Christmas celebration" for the entire Schoenstatt Family. "We even did the impossible, but in the end we cannot travel with the children," was Inge Haslinger’s telephone message two days earlier. On the other hand, they did not have very much time to travel and the trek from Austria to Schoenstatt is quite long, but "we would surely go immediately if Father is returning. One must be there."

Many people arrived and not only from local Schoenstatt. "It was marvelous, simply marvelous. It was worth it," said a lady who had to travel for two hours that same night in order to return to her home. The participants in the Chapter of the Women’s Federation were present – they had concluded their chapter that morning --, as did the chapter participants for the Family Federation from Germany, several youngsters from Munster, the participants in the Schoenstatt formation meeting which took place that weekend in House Sonnenau, the ladies who work with the "Ten minutes next to the manger" and the Spanish-speaking volunteers who are in Schoenstatt for a few months. Alegría from Ecuador commented: "We did not understand anything; when everyone laughed, we would smile…..and nevertheless it was a beautiful atmosphere, the joy, the video….."

Father Kentenich was present in the great photograph which shows him kneeling in the Original Shrine on Christmas Eve of 1965, and also in the Father Eye Symbol which was destined for the Original Shrine.

Where Father is, there is a greater sense of family

At 4:00 P.M., there was an ocean of people going toward the auditorium. Affectionate greetings, reencounters, good omens for Christmas and the New Year…..With the cordial welcome of Sr. M. Jacoba Kesselheim, General Superior of the Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary – hostesses for said event – the lights went off and a voice was heard on "off":"The dramatic happenings….." With this there was no reference to what would continue but it was only a small "technical failure" which was very charming. In the next act, Fr. Heinrich Walter went on stage to introduce to the entire Schoenstatt Family gathered there the new leadership for the German Womens’ and Family Federations.

"It is always a gift, the fact that a community elects new leaders and therefore, it also corresponds that in this family encounter it is made known who has been elected. We are invited to pray for this intention," and we find out who were elected: the new leader for the Women’s Federation, for a period of eight years, is Gertrud Beilman, along with councilors Marianne Mertke, Renate Steinhovel and Renate Zegowitz. The new council received a warm round of applause when the leaders stood so they could be seen by all. The new leadership for the German Family Federation, elected this past January 6th, is composed of Josef and Rosa María Wieland as leaders, and the Heizmann, Zier and Kiess families as councilors. They also received a warm round of applause. "It was very beautiful," a member of the Family Federation said later. "This has forged a family atmosphere. When Father is here, there is a greater sense of family." And as in a family, the witnesses who successively shared diverse and authentic miracles were present.

And we all waited with him

After a brief, historic slide presentation, Father Bodo Erhard offered the first testimony. He was in Rome in 1965 and accompanied Father Kentenich from Rome to Frankfurt. He relived the dramatic days prior to Christmas Eve when until the last moment the decision as to whether or not Father Kentenich could return to Germany and Schoenstatt was pending. "I remember especially the small exciting things and the especially the unpleasant moments," said Fr. Erhard with a great sense of humor. Thus was the situation at the hour of departure from Rome when Father Kentenich’s passport was no where in sight. Everyone was very nervous, related Fr. Erhard, "but Father was totally tranquil like a commander surveying the horizon. He was not keeping an eye on whether the Sisters could find the passport or not. He was simply looking forward…..And we all continued waiting silently with him," until the passport finally appeared.

Another happening occurred later: Father Erhard would "continuously get behind" the "bunch" of (people) in front of the Original Shrine since he had had many encounters with Father Kentenich and he wanted to give others an opportunity. Father Kentenich who had gone out of the Original Shrine in the darkness of the late afternoon could not recognize him and tried very hard to reach him "greeting and shaking hands with everyone." When Father Kentenich recognized him "he made an about face and continued greeting the people and everything continued on course."

He gave me his hand

Sr. M. Briga had never seen Father Kentenich when on Christmas Eve she was a part of the bunch of people in front of the Original Shrine. She knew him as the supreme founder of Schoenstatt. She was there with her course in the fall of 1965, during a period of formation and she lived intensely the tension of those weeks prior to Christmas Eve. "There was total silence, nothing could be heard" – she describes the situation – when slowly the area in front of the Shrine began to fill and suddenly could be heard cars, voices, steps….."And then I saw Bishop Tenhumberg and our Father arrive…..There I saw him for the first time. Then Father began shaking hands from right to left. Suddenly I realized I had experienced a miracle, that I was before a miracle, before the miracle of the "Holy Night," says Sr. Briga. "Me too," utters a young woman in the room observing the scene with fascination . "Me too."

"And then he looked directly at me and extended his hand with an unforgettable NOS CUM PROLE PIA," relates Sr. Briga. The celebration which followed was hardly noticed because there was a cloud of happiness. From that moment on, I valued my right hand which had been in the hand of our Father as a relic…..and only guessed correctly thinking: he lives, he is the greatest….." Later, with great joy, she extended that hand to her 30 course Sisters.

Now he is fulfilling the miracle of the Holy Night

Mr. Basler, a member of the Institute of the Schoenstatt Brothers of Mary, related that on December 24th, he had taken by car some of the Sisters from the Wildburg House to Frankfurt, and at the airport he saw Father Kentenich for the first time. The welcome greeting was given in the midst of a very familial atmosphere. "The miracle of the Holy Night is now being fulfilled" was the thought which came to him suddenly when Father Kentenich, some time later, addressed anew the Family in the auditorium of the Marian School in Schoenstatt and the Sisters choir intoned: "The Chains have fallen" (Heavenward, No. 612).

In the house chapel of the old goldsmith shop (where the Press Office is located today), the Brothers of Mary were celebrating that night Midnight Mass. Then they went to the Original Shrine where they saw Father Kentenich "in Christmas conversation" with families, priests and Sisters. The next day, along with other Brothers of Mary, Bro. Basler served Father Kentenich’s Christmas Mass which he celebrated for the Sisters. That same day in the afternoon, they got the news that Father Kentenich was at House Schonfels and spontaneously the Brothers of Mary went there and serenaded him: "It was a concentrated joy."

The Mailman

Sr. Gertmaris Casser shared a small experience which took place in the Sisters’ Novitiate where Father Kentenich was staying. Before Father Kentenich left for the Original Shrine to celebrate Midnight Mass, he received a telegram. Amidst the great joy of that day, very calmly, Father Kentenich asked, in a low voice, the Sister in charge of the door; "Did you give the mailman something?"

Still I know it

It was fascinating when Mrs. Jost and Mrs. Klein, from the seventh Family Federation course, related how they traveled to Schoenstatt on the night of December 24th to participate in the Midnight Mass in the Original Shrine. They were accompanied by the older Jost family children; the younger ones were being cared for by her mother, said Mrs. Jost. They left at 10:00 P.M.in the darkness of the night and with snow flurries. She explained that the sharing of gifts at that time would take place on Christmas morning and not in the evening of Christmas Eve, so this meant "that the children did not have to do without anything and only had to sleep." From the Klein family, only the mother could travel and that she did. "We prayed without interruption until we arrived in Schoenstatt so that we could at least see Father from afar," says Mrs. Klein.

When we arrived in Schoenstatt, "the Sisters wanted to send us to the other side. They told us we could go to the high school where there would also be a Midnight Mass! But we were not going to allow them to send us elsewhere, we wanted to be present when Father would arrive!" All of these measures were taken in order not to inconvenience the Pallottines…..The families, with great perseverance, arrived at the Midnight Mass and were able to greet Father. The first question he asked them was: "Where did you leave your children? And, where will you stay?" When they answered they would be returning home, he wanted to know how far that would be. They mentioned something about their course meeting they would have that summer, of which they had written to him about, and they were left speechless with astonishment when he answered them: "But I know all of that," quoting to them entire sentences of said meeting…..

How is your brother?

"I was a skeptic before," said Sr. Dagmara Konen. She had still not met Father Kentenich and "I simply could not believe that he would be such an exceptional person!" Nevertheless, she felt fascinated before this person who was so recollected, greeted by so many, and looked upon so affectionately. Later, in the Novitiate, the Sisters formed a double file and Father, turning toward one of the Sisters asked her: "How is your brother?" Before the fourteen years of exile took place, this brother of hers had been gravely ill. "There, I understood that he was a Father," said Sr. Dagmara. "My conversion began on that Christmas Eve."

As the "grand finale," the taped testimony of the deceased Theresia Walz (from the Women’s Federation) followed. It was on her encounter with Father Kentenich on Christmas Eve and later in House Sonnenau.

Night of peace

The celebration ended with a brief video of Father Kentenich in the Original Shrine and during Midnight Mass…..For one or another, it was the first time they saw Father Kentenich in a video, while for the majority it was the first time they saw him in the Original Shrine that famous 24th of December. "Me too"….. In some way, all were immersed in this miracle of his return…..immersed in the Family.

The sacramental blessing prompted the expression of gratitude and a moving hymn of praise to the Holy Trinity. Even though it was already very late, many joyfully accepted the invitation to have some tea and Christmas cakes as the family climax in the farm near the Adoration Church.

Translation: Carlos Cantú Family Federation La Feria, Texas USA


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