The international youth traveled to Gymnich and Bonn.

The finishing touch on the day was a beautiful Youth Mass celebration

Frente de la iglesia San Cuniberto, donde fue bautizado In front of St. Cunibert’s, where he was baptized Vor der Taufkirche Sankt Kunibert
Rezando en la Iglesia, cerca de la pila bautismal Praying in the church, by the font Gebet am Taufbecken
En el “Museo de la Historia de Alemania” en Bonn At the “House of German History” in Bonn Vor dem “Haus der Geschichte” in Bonn Fotos: Frank © 2006
Alianza de Amor: José Luis y Liliana Ovejero presentando el simbolo del Padre Covenant of Love: José Luis and Liliana Ovejero presenting the Father Symbol Liebesbündnis: José Luis und Liliana Ovejero bringen das Vatersymbol
Alianza de Amor en el Santuario Original Covenant of Love in the Original Shrine Liebesbündnis im Urheiligtum
Misa de la Juventud Youth Mass Jugendmesse Fotos: POS Fischer © 2006 Album de fotos – photo album – Fotoalbum “Schoenstatt Summer” fotos

SCHOENSTATT, Stefanie Frank. "Schoenstatt Summer goes to Gymnich." This could have been the name of the excursion that the youth took last week, which was one of the programs offered by "Schoenstatt Summer." During this daylong outing, youth and young adults from four continents traveled to Gymnich to learn about the place where the Founder of the International Schoenstatt Work was born. Furthermore, they visited the Museum of History in Bonn, where they were able to experience something of the roots of the country through an exhibit that even the young Germans found very interesting. Upon returning to Schoenstatt, they ended the day with a Holy Mass for the International Youth.

The day began with Morning Prayer in the Original Shrine, just as all mornings have begun since the opening of "Schoenstatt Summer." While accompanied by songs and prayers, the youth prepared themselves spiritually for the experiences to come in the day. Then, youth from Mexico, Puerto Rico, the United States, India, Kenya, the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Spain, and Germany were ready to depart for Gymnich, the birthplace of Father Joseph Kentenich, and then travel on to Bonn.

To Gymnich

First, the youth departed in two small buses towards Gymnich to see the birthplace of Father Joseph Kentenich; they also were able to visit the parish where he, a dearly beloved son of the city, was baptized. In Gymnich, Schoenstatt Father Carlos Bausenhart received the international group in the house where Father Kentenich was born. He had prepared a brief PowerPoint presentation for the visitors. Meanwhile, pictures of the young Joseph Kentenich and his relatives were projected on the walls of the old barn, where the family horse had been kept. Father Carlos shared more details about the infancy of the little one in Gymnich with the group. Father Carlos also told them how his parents, Katharina Kentenich and Matthias Josef Koep, had met at a small farm close to Gymnich.

Joseph Kentenich was born on November 18, 1885, in Gymnich and was baptized the next day in the parish of Saint Kunibert. The boy’s father did not want to marry the young mother, and she was forced to raise her son alone. Joseph Kentenich went to the school in his town, and his favorite thing was to play with his friends in the fields. At the age of eight, he left the city with his mother, although he returned to visit frequently. After Father Carlos gave this introduction, in which he clearly stressed what a close bond there was between the mother and her son throughout his life, then the young people went on a tour of the small house.

In the house, there is a model to scale that shows how the old house was originally and what has since been renovated. The visitors also saw photos of Fr. Kentenich’s mother, as well as Fr. Kentenich at different stages of his life. On the first floor, there is a room where one is invited to pray in silence: it is the room where Father Kentenich was born.

A picnic on the patio of the house

The tour through the house ended quickly, and the group gathered on the patio of the house for a picnic. There they exchanged opinions about the life of Father Kentenich in Gymnich and discussed the special bond he had with his mother. "It is a unique experience to be here. I love the house, but above all, I am fascinated by Father Kentenich’s attachment with his mother. I never read about this very special relationship in any of the biographies I know of," commented Jessica, who is from Puerto Rico.

Kristina and Lidka from the Czech Republic and Susanna from Slovakia also thought that the visit to the house was "super interesting." "Above all, the room where Father Kentenich was born—it has something special," Lidka said. Afterwards, the group visited the parish where Fr. Kentenich was baptized, and the same baptismal fount is still there. The youth prayed the "Schoenstatt Summer" prayer together around the fount; this is the special prayer that the youth leaders wrote to be prayed during the four weeks of the program. Finally, they bid farewell to Gymnich, the birthplace, and Father Carlos.

Experiencing the history of Germany

The youth continued their trip towards Bonn, where a visit to the History Museum was planned. They were all very interested in the time frame from World War II up to the present. Understandably, the youth from the other countries who had come to Germany wanted to learn something about German history. But the exhibition was also interesting to the German youth themselves.

In the museum, there are exhibits from every era of German history, including the time of the four occupied zones after WWII, to the division of Germany into the Federal Republic and the Democratic Republic, up to the social and cultural changes of the present time. The youth were fascinated with the exhibits on the fall of the wall, the different parties that exist in reunified Germany, and the elections in the German parliament. "I did not have any idea how bad it was in Germany after the Second World War. It is incredible," said Olenka, who is from the United States.

Maria Sol from Spain was enthusiastic about the exhibition. "It is very beautiful and interesting. German history can be understood and experienced very well by seeing it." But George from India, Kenneth from Kenya, and Melissa from Mexico, among others, discovered something missing in the exhibition: they lamented that the information and documents were only in German, so the German youth suddenly had to become translators for their foreign friends.

Time passed rapidly in the museum, and soon they had to return to Schoenstatt. There, as on all Fridays of "Schoenstatt Summer," the Eucharistic celebration held especially for the International Youth awaited them, and the closing of the day was dedicated to all the youth of the world.

Holy Mass for the International Youth.

During the homily for the Holy Mass, Father Lothar Herter began speaking of the experience in Gymnich and connected it to the Original Shrine and the Covenant of Love. The Eucharistic celebration began with the customary night prayer meeting in the Original Shrine, a little bit before eight o’clock, but this time it was not just the standard prayer gathering. Dr. Amy Peebles, a Linguistics professor from Austin, Texas (United States), who joined the Catholic Church four months ago, sealed her Covenant of Love with the Mother Thrice Admirable, Queen and Victress of Schoenstatt, in a simple but profoundly moving ceremony. "I have looked for a Mother all my life. Now, I have found her," she said. Amy had invited Liliana and José Luis Ovejero, from Mendoza, Argentina, to be her "padrinos" (sponsors). The time began with the Ovejeros solemnly taking a Father Symbol that the Girls’ Youth from Argentina had given as a gift 25 years ago for the door of the Original Shrine and placing it on the altar; the symbol was hand carved in Mendoza. Dr. Peebles had recently brought the Father eye to Schoenstatt from Austin.

Then, the ceremony opened with the "Hymn" of the Educational Center of God the Father, which is the school that the Ovejeros founded and currently direct in Mendoza; this song is the well-known, traditional Argentinean Schoenstatt song, "Song to God the Father." During this international Eucharist, Father Lothar spoke of a ring as the symbol for each person’s desire for wholeness, holiness, and perfection. The ring also represents a total life commitment, such as the one that makes a response to God through Mary and seals the Covenant of Love with Her. The joyful drumbeats played by the seminarians from Burundi and from Congo gave this Holy Mass, which was celebrated in the shadow of the Original Shrine and around the cross in the Pilgrim’s Square, a unique flavor.

It has only been one week since "Schoenstatt Summer" began for the youth. And it has been a very enriching week, with opportunities to deepen one’s knowledge of Schoenstatt through many meetings, outings, celebrations, and even "visits from the press." A phrase from Father Lothar’s homily continues to echo even now: "We must be grateful to be here today and grateful that Schoenstatt exists at all; our being here is thanks to Katharina Kentenich’s ‘yes’ to the life of her unborn child on that fateful day in Gymnich in 1885".

Translation: Celina Garza, Harlingen, Texas, USA