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La Juventud Femenina de Minnesota, celebrando los 50 años de la rama en Estados Unidos The Schoenstatt Girls’ Youth of Minnesota celebrating 50 years of the branch in USA Die Schönstatt-Mädchenjugend von Minnesota feiert 50 Jahre ihres Bestehens in den USA |
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Katie and Kristine, moderators del día Katie and Kristine, MC’s for rally day Katie und Kristine führen durchs Programm |
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Mons. Flynn Archbishop Flynn Erzbischof Flynn |
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Mons. Flynn bendice el Santuario Hogar de Mara Garawecki Archbishop Flynn blessing Mara Garawecki’s home shrine Erzbischof Flynn segnet Mara Garaweckis Hausheiligtum |
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Mrs. Becky Hall cuenta de sus experiencias en la Juventud Femenina Mrs. Becky may sharing experiencies with the Girls’ youth Frau Becky Hall erzählt von ihren Erfahrungen in der Mädchenjugend Fotos: Niehaus 2006 |
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USA, Mara Gawarecki and Sara Carlson. The Schoenstatt Girl’s Youth in Minnesota celebrated their 50th anniversary with a Rally Day on November 4, 2006. Since they don’t have a Schoenstatt shrine in the area of the Twin Cities (St. Paul/Minneapolis), they brought the MTA picture from the Schoenstatt Girls’ Youth room in Sleepy Eye, Minnesota. If you can’t come to the shrine, the shrine will come to you.
Archbishop Harry Flynn, from the archdiocese of St. Paul/Minneapolis was the special guest for the event. The day began with a brief practice of the program and the presentations. Once the rough spots were smoothed out, we waited for Archbishop Flynn to arrive.
Unfortunately, the Archbishop, who was flying back from Pennsylvania, was unable to arrive right away, so the girls started without him. Sara Carlson, their regional leader, gave a speech of welcome to the fifty-five girls and mothers present. In her introduction, she briefly explained the motto for this year.
"Missionaries in our USA"
Briefly this is what Sara shared: "As Schoenstatt girls’ youth, we want to be used as servants of our Lord and His Church in bringing about the new evangelization. Through leading groups, participating in summer camps or weekend retreats, and being examples of purity and simplicity, we hope to help spread Schoenstatt to every heart in every nation. We may not be going to far off countries, but we still can be missionaries in our USA.
"Every year we have an international Schoenstatt girls’ youth convention in Waukesha, WI to look over the past year, and plan the next. We also formulate an annual motto that will guide us in our striving for the upcoming year. The motto we decided upon for this year is: Set Ablaze by the Flames, We are a Living Sacrifice. We wanted to be a fire that spreads to everyone everywhere. We also realized how little in our day and age people are willing to sacrifice anything. We want our very lives to be a sacrifice, so that we might help fill in the cross of Christ. We devised a visual representation of how we could be a fire and how we would be set ablaze. We are the wood for the sacrifice, Fr. Kentenich is like the lighter fluid, and the Blessed Mother is the one who lights the match. With the MTA lighting us, and Fr. Kentenich to urge us on, we catch fire and spread. We decided that a flame like that of a candle is too small; we want to be a like a forest fire that is 50 feet high. Anyone in the path of a fire that huge cannot help but be affected by it. After a fire sweeps through a field or a forest, everything looks black and dead, but then comes the spring and all things that were once dead blossom to new life and are more beautiful than ever before. Scripture tells us, "Unless a seed falls to the ground and dies, it will not bear fruit." We must lead a life of sacrifice so that a new springtime will come to the world. It is a great task, and we are ever thankful for the support of so many."
A spiritual bouquet for the Archbishop
Kristine Rose and Katie Befort, their MC’s, assisted by some actresses in a skit, illustrated the history of the Girls’ Youth in the USA. The first Schoenstatt Girls’ group began in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in November of 1956. The Schoenstatt Girls’ Youth had a pre-history with Fr. Kentenich’s visit to the USA in 1948. The girls had a surprise visit from a mysterious bearded priest (one of the girls dressed up as Fr. Kentenich). He distributed candy before vanishing as mysteriously as he had come.
Mrs. Becky Hall and Lea Sticha shared memories of their involvement with the Girls’ Youth.
After the meal prayer was sung, all trooped downstairs to lunch. In the middle of the meal, the Archbishop arrived. We could share with him the lively motto for the day: Come let us celebrate, 50 years Girl’s Youth!
When the lunch break had ended, the girls presented a spiritual bouquet to their guest. Representatives of each group in the diocese placed a flower in a vase, symbolizing their prayers and sacrifices for the Archbishop.
A power point presentation made it possible for all the girls unable to come to be present in picture form. Before Holy Mass, all of them gathered for a picture with the archbishop.
Each one has a mission in this world
During Mass, the Archbishop compared the world to a chocolate cake -- each of us has a special job to do in God’s Kingdom, whether it be a humble pinch of salt or a large mound of flour. We need to discover our vocation in life so that we can serve God as he wants us to.
Following their guest’s departure, the girls launched into games of "Fruit Basket Upset" and charades. An extremely energetic Virginia Reel followed where girls from short to tall joined in dancing. Although exhausted by the lively dance, the girls all pitched in and helped with clean-up before leaving.
The Schoenstatt Girls’ Youth in Minnesota numbers 280 girls in 40 groups.