Three brave boys and 18 future "heroes"

A weekend of adventure for boys, in House Marienstein, at Visbek-Endel

Un fin de semana lleno de aventuras A weekend full of adventures Ein Wochenende voller Abenteuer
Heroes en marcha... Heroes are comino... Achtung, die Helden kommen! Fotos: Linde © 2006

GERMANY, Sister M. Beata Linde, Three boys from Oldenburg – Martin Roelfes, Stephan Bohmann and Alexander Bley - the new leaders of the Schoenstatt Boys’ Youth, experienced an exciting weekend of adventure at House Marienstein, along with 18 boys between the ages of 8 to 12.

The three oldest ones, who are already good friends, accepted this challenge with great enthusiasm and animation, but also with a sense of responsibility with many original ideas.

The motto for the weekend was "Be a hero today?", and along with the work about the subject, there were also sports, rest, adventures, suspense and unending fun.

What actually is a hero?

It was not easy for the boys to understand the matter about heroes. What actually is a hero? How many heroes do we know? The boys were enthused with the idea that God has placed the inclination for something completely special in each man, that is to say, he has given him the "Manual of instructions" to be a true man, a "hero".

A personal sketch, that each one had written about himself, made the originality and the character of each one visible.

The "authentic heroism" of Pope Benedict XVI, Father Kentenich, Michael Ballack ( a German soccer player), Robin Hood, and also Superman was studied. The program included "role playing" about the subject as well as a photographic walk through the forest, bonfires, and nocturnal excursions and of course in between there was soccer and basketball.

And of course it was natural that during the weekend of adventure, that in the morning and at night the "future heroes" would take time for an encounter with God and with the Blessed Mother in the Shrine, and they also actively participated in the Sunday Holy Mass.

Go forth to new adventures

The final result of the journey was that the adults and the boys were so enthused about the subject that it was difficult for some them to separate and return to their homes.

"When can we come back?" "When is the next weekend of adventure?", "This was super ‘cool’!" It could not have been any different: "The food was delicious!". Those were the comments. And the three older ones said: "Martin, Stephan and Alexander were great!"

The boys experienced a weekend that was completely harmonious; they made new friends, and the existing friendships were deepened, they laughed a lot, they learned something and they experienced the adventures. "The boys from Oldenburg are the greatest!" said Sister M. Engeltraud, who supported the youth journey with all her strength and she is looking forward along with the boys to the next weekend of adventures.

Translation: Celina Garza, Harlingen, TX, USA