The history of the Church begins with the Disciples' Easter Faith

Holy Week and Easter in Schoenstatt

Via Crucis en la Iglesia de Peregrinos, Viernes Santo Stations of the Cross in the Pilgrims’ Church, Good Friday Kreuzweg in der Pilgerkirche am Karfreitag Foto: POS Fischer © 2006
Via Crucis de la Juventud Youth Stations of the Cross Jugendkreuzweg Foto: Hand © 2006
Vigilia en la Igleisa de la Adoración Easter Night Vigil in the Adoration Church Osternachtfeier in der Anbetungskirche Foto: Reid © 2006
Juventud Femenina de Suiza, participando en la Vigilia Girls’ Youth from Switzerland participating in the Easter Vigil Mädchenjugend aus der Schweiz bei der Osternachtfeier
Vigilia en la Iglesia de Peregrinos Vigil in the Pilgrims’ Church Vigil in der Pilgerkirche Fotos: POS Fischer © 2006

SCHOENSTATT, mkf. Protected by umbrellas, with heavy rains, dark skies and winter temperatures, in the Adoration Church at Easter Saturday night, early on Easter morning in the Pilgrims’ Church, Easter was celebrated in Schoenstatt), after a Holy Week with more and more pilgrims. Young couples with children in the Family House, older people in Marienland House, Girls’ Youth from Switzerland and Germany were in Sonnenau, engaged couples who are participating in a marriage preparation seminar, many German pilgrims who want to spend Easter in Schoenstatt, in addition to the pilgrims from Colombia, Chile, Argentina, South America, Nigeria…were filling Schoenstatt with life.

After the beautiful celebrations on Palm Sunday in Schoenstatt, the sun disappeared, and the liturgies of Holy Thursday and Good Friday were celebrated in the midst of cold and rain. During the morning the Stations of the Cross were held in the Pilgrim’s Church (because of the torrential rain – it was a not intended but beautiful experience to walk not only from station to station within the church, but pass at the same time from one photo of a Schoenstatt heroe to another), and later the youth also held the Stations of the Cross in the Original Shrine, in a pouring rain –close to the tomb of the heroes. They carried a large cross and the Pilgrim MTA.

Flowers and candles for Jesus

In the Pilgrim’s Church, the liturgy of Good Friday was dedicated especially to the families with children. It was very touching when some 40 children, some of them so small they could barely walk, followed the cross in procession through all the Church, holding a white tulip and a candle in their hands. After the priests and altar boys venerated the cross, the children placed their flowers and candles at the feet of Jesus on the cross. (See video). During the petitions for the Church, the Pope, leaders…, photos of the Vatican, Benedict XVI, and a gathering of the German Government were shown.. We did not pray for something far from our daily lives; rather, we prayed for concrete men of today in our present world.

He truly died for us

"Did he truly die for us? This is very strong", commented a young journalist from the regional TV. He was searching for some news about Easter for the news cast; he contacted Schoenstatt, since he had found out about the "Easter Fire" among the announcements that regularly arrive at the station. He is from East Germany and he had never heard that Easter had something to do with Jesus…whom he did not know either. On Easter Sunday at 5:30 a.m. he came to Schoenstatt to film the Easter Fire during the Easter Vigil. It was a rainy, dark morning, but nevertheless some 150 people, among them many youth and children, had gathered outside the Pilgrims' Church. The history of the church began with the Easter faith of the disciples, and it is this faith that makes the church live and continue to be alive today - this was the main theme of the interview that accompanied the film. The fire is a very strong symbol, for new life after the long winter, new light after the long night - but this alone would not make people get up early in the morning to be here. It is that is is a symbol for a reality of life that Jesus shares with us, and is reflected in the joy that those irradiate who are deeply filled with this faith.

In all the Easter Masses, prayers were said for the Father, who was to be 79 years old this Sunday, and all were invited to celebrate the first anniversary of his Papacy on April 19th! On the Blog nadasinti we have opened a page especially to congratulate him and to post testimonies of gratitude and prayers (more).

• Photos Holy Week
• Photos Easter Vigil
• Photos Easter Sunday
• Video Good Friday Procession of the children
• Video Easter
• Audio Easter Vigil