Nachrichten - News - Noticias
 published: 2006-08-15

On fire with Jubilee spirit - Schoenstatt Youth leading the way to 2014

Schoenstatt Girls' Youth of the USA: Ver Sacrum Partris leaders' convention and jubilee celebration 2006

 

Juventud Femenina de los Estados Unidos: 75° aniversario de la rama

Girls’ Youth USA: celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Girls’ Youth

Mädchenjugend der USA: Feier des 75jährigen Jubiläums

 

Despues de la Misa

After the Holy Mass

Nach der Messe

 
 

 

Torta de cumpleaños

Birthday cake

Geburtstagstorte

 
 

Símbolo de la Generacion Ver Sacrum Patris

Symbol of the Ver Sacrum Patris Generation

Symbol der Ver Sacrum Patris Generation

 
 

Una vez estuvieron ellas de la JF

Former Girls’ Youth

Ehemalige Mädchenjugend

 

Chicas de Puerto Rico

Girls from Puerto Rico

Mädchen aus Puerto Rico

 

Despedida de seis postulantes de las Hermanas...

Farewell to six postulants of the Schoenstatt Sisters

Abschied von sechs Postulantinnen der Marienschwestern

Fotos: Sr. Frances © 2006

 

 

 

USA, Naomi Villaca and Lisa Hegeman. From July 28-31, the leaders of the Ver Sacrum Patris girls' youth of Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, Nebraska, and Georgia were joined by a delegation of leaders from Puerto Rico for their annual leaders' convention at the International Schoenstatt Center in Waukesha, Wisconsin. Inspired by the motto: "On Fire with Jubilee Spirit Schoenstatt Youth Leading the Way to 2014," they came together to celebrate the 75th jubilee of the international girls' youth and the 50th jubilee of the girls' youth in the United States. They also searched for a motto for the new year.

The girls spoke about the beginnings and the history of the American girls' youth-the first group led by Mrs. Mae Wacker in 1956, the erection of the International Center and Shrine and the part the girls played in it, Fr. Kentenich's first Mass on the land with the girls, the "crowning stream", the spread of the youth from Milwaukee to Minnesota, Illinois, Nebraska , Ohio, New York, Massachusetts, and Puerto Rico. They heard some of the earliest American youth tell them how they symbolically placed themselves into the foundations of the shrine, and Father's comments on that act. On Sunday the Schoenstatt Family from the area was invited to a jubilee celebration, with Mass celebrated by Fr. Mark Niehaus followed by a powerpoint presentation on the history of the Ver Sacrum Patris youth in the USA.

Quite a few former youth around

There were quite a few former youth who came- some as Sisters, some with their families. After the presentation, refreshments were served. That evening, the girls danced for several hours and then the Leaders’ Circles said goodbye to the six new candidates for the Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary. Late in the evening they had a beautiful time of prayer to usher in the next 50 years of the Girls' Youth in the U.S.A. On Monday morning they had a presentation by the Minnesota leaders about a girl of today being sent forward in time to 2014, during the jubilee celebration; in it the Blessed Mother was leaving the shrine because the capital of grace was running dry! So after that skit, the young people figured out that if they had 50 girls making 10 contributions a day, they could make 1.5 million contributions by 2014! Well, they told Sr. M. Frances, their youth sister, and she said "No, not 1.5 million- you have to offer 2 million!" So that's the goal now. They also would like to invite all of the readers of schoenstatt.de to join them in 2 million contributions to the capital of grace for 2014!

Set ablaze by the flames, we are a living sacrifice

The girls then went on a pilgrimage into Milwaukee for Mass in the Exile Shrine and a picnic in a nearby park. It was fun! When they arrived back at the Center, they began the motto search. They had been having discussions in small groups during the week in order to discover what, specifically, they wanted to strive for and be inspired by during this year. They spoke about the "head, heart, and home" of Father, the Blessed Mother, and the Shrine, also relating it to the symbolism of the flames on the Ver Sacrum banner. They wanted to choose a part of the banner to strive for, feeling that through losing their banner during the WYD vigil, Mary was calling them to truly be a living springtime, a living banner. The ideas of being on fire for their mission, unity, and becoming a living foundation for the next 50 years were the predominant themes of the discussions. After about an hour and a half of discussion, they discovered our motto: "SET ABLAZE BY THE FLAMES, WE ARE A LIVING SACRIFICE". Set ablaze! What does it mean to be set ablaze? It does not bring to mind so much the small flame of a candle, or something just starting to burn – but rather something that has been consumed by flames and is capable of consuming. They want to be like a forest fire - fifty foot high flames. Burning down - to allow new life to grow. In the Ver Sacrum Patris banner, the flames represent the "three contact points": the Head (Fr. Kentenich), Heart (the MTA), and Home (the shrine). "We do not want any old fire to set us on fire - want our flames to set us ablaze!", they said. " Here is an analogy: in building a bright campfire, you use a few things - dry wood, lighter fluid, a match. If the wood is too damp, it will not burn well; even lighter fluid and the match will not make it burn brightly. We are the wood; we must work on our self-education, to be "dry" and ready for the fire. The shrine is what holds us, preparing us for the fire (like a fire "pit"). Our love for Mary is the lighter fluid, and Father holds the match. When the fire burns brightly, it will not contain itself, and we will not be able to stay in the shrine, but must go out to the world and conquer it for the Springtime!"

A new foundation

"We are a living sacrifice" - what does this mean? This year was the 50th anniversary of the Girls’ Youth here in the United States. The girls of the founding generation recognized the need for total sacrifice for the Holy Spring; they offered themselves as the living sacrifice for the foundation of the shrine (at the International Center in Waukesha, WI) and for the future youth; the girls today want to follow their example and uphold the foundation, becoming the sacrifice leading into the future, particularly to 2014, the 100th anniversary of the founding of Schoenstatt.

Throughout the year, this motto will continue to unfold as they want to live to this great ideal as Ver Sacrum Patris, through this motto.


Zurück/Back: [Seitenanfang / Top] [letzte Seite / last page] [Homepage]

Last Update: 15.08.2006 Mail: Editor /Webmaster
© 2006 Schönstatt-Bewegung in Deutschland, PressOffice Schönstatt, hbre, All rights reserved, Impressum