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Más allá: Hace 90 años, en plena guerra mundial: encuentro de grupo fuera de Schoenstatt, in Berlin 90 years ago, during WW I: group meeting outside Schoenstatt, in Berlin Darüber hinaus: Vor neunzig Jahren, mitten im ersten Weltkrieg: Gruppentreffen außerhalb Schönstatts, in Berlin Foto: MTA 1916, Nr.1 © 2006 |
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"Ad maiora nati sumus! – We have been born to greater things! – Who would have thought it! Four soldalists, whom the World War had gruesomely and violently thrust out of the quiet cloister into noisy barracks, met in Berlin for a Sodality gathering. How could it be different? Just as good children gather at the first opportunity around their mother, so we also felt motivated, and indeed obliged because of the favourable opportunity, to allow Mary to again take centre stage in all that we do. Through exchanging our experiences we wanted to re-enkindle our enthusiasm for Mary’s cause. Above all we again wanted to promise eternal loyalty to our heavenly Mother. … Surrounded by almost completely drunken young men, forced to listen to their common talk and filthy excuses, and to see vice glorified, it could have happened that one or the other would have drawn a fine veil over his goal. This now had to be destroyed. Mary had once again to shine out in new glory as the Morning Star. For a few hours we wanted to forget the barracks and military service, and look back on the way we had followed in uniform. We wanted to see whether we had come to Jesus through Mary. This knowledge was followed by practical resolutions, but at the same time also with gratitude to the Blessed Mother for the help and support each one of us had experienced in a way we had never experienced before. In addition we also wanted to ask her to continue supporting and helping us: We asked her to let us recognize the nothingness of all that is earthly and to preserve us in our high vocation to the priesthood. Ad maiora nati sumus! – We have been born to greater things!
That was our plan. Now to the way we carried it out. On the feast-day Eise and Waldbroel had the great good fortune to be able to attend Holy Mass in the morning. We asked the Blessed Mother to help us very specially for the celebration, because we lacked the help of a priest. That afternoon Eise, Prellwitz and Roemer met with Waldbroel, because he was confined to barracks until 4 p.m.. At roll call his status as Corporal had been noticed. From here we went to the photographer. We enclose the photograph. Then we went to the Church of St Boniface, Apostle to the Germans. In the Lady Chapel each of us silently renewed his consecration to Mary. Our only copy of "Sodalis Marianus" was passed from hand to hand. Each of us was moved and uplifted as never before. After all, we had never before experienced Mary’s powerful help and kind heart in such a way. Her very real motherly love enkindled jubilant joy in us, and at the same time the most fervent gratitude. How many thousands of difficulties and temptations we had overcome in these last few weeks! We were amazed. We had hardly had enough strength to fight our own weaknesses. And yet now we see these wonderful successes! Yes, Mary has proved in us that she is wonderful. These were our thoughts and feelings in the chapel. We were soon able to express them in words. The place of our secular meeting was a pub. Nothing else was possible. However, it didn’t disturb us. The discussion was really lively and never faltered. We were all competing to bring proofs that Mary always helps.
Grenadier Waldbroel, sod. Mar., Chronicler
Second Meeting on 23.1.1916
Still borne by our fresh enthusiasm for Mary’s cause we were hardly able to wait for the following Sunday, when we again had a small meeting, this time in Neukoelln. Prellwitz and Roemer were to present their talks. At this meeting each of us brought examples from life in the barracks that showed how depraved the young men are. We asked ourselves: How can we work as apostles there? Prellwitz had pointed this out in his talk. We resolved to collect such examples, as far as possible, and to send them to the Sodality. Exempla trahunt – examples carry along! At 7 p.m. we made for the church. We arrived just in time to receive the blessing with the monstrance. The meeting was introduced with a few fiery and pithy words from Eise. As the former First Assistant [of the Major Sodality] he naturally had the right to lead the meeting. In his talk he pointed out the reason and purpose of our meeting. Roemer and Prellwitz have summarized our discussion. (Both were sent in. Remark of the Editor). Unfortunately Prellwitz had to leave all too early. The rest of us continued until 11 p.m. Those were golden hours. Mary’s name was again inscribed into our hearts with new letters. Our goal was again clear. The way we had travelled so far was the right one – Per Mariam ad Jesum – through Mary to Jesus. After Benediction we had the chance to go to confession. We did our business and offloaded a great deal, because a soldier’s soul has quite a record. The confessor later invited us to join the meeting of the Association of St Maurice. He wanted to go with us, but unfortunately an important visitor arrived. He invited us to go home with him. There he shared out thick cigars and was very happy to meet a few "decent" people, that is, soldiers, because most of them were worth nothing. He sent us to the meeting on our own. He sent his apologies. We had to make up for his absence. Before this he told us about his metamorphosis from an artillery soldier to parish priest. In the army he had risen to a senior position. When he was 27 he had matriculated and since 1906 he has been parish priest in Berlin. He encouraged us to come again soon. Next Sunday Eise will give a talk to the boys. Subject: Cameroon and Mary. If I may be permitted to say so, he will talk gibberish! But we want to make people enthusiastic about Mary. Waldbroell will act as prompter. Actually he should be giving the talk, but he shouts all day that he doesn’t have time. Unfortunately time passes really quickly here; Prellwitz has to leave again now.
Translation: Mary Cole, Manchester, England