What did the Child bring? – What brings the new year?

At the beginning of a new year: Interviews with Schoenstatt members

Padre Felipe y Fabrizio Usai obtuvieron algunos regalos muy especiales! Father Felipe and Fabrizio Usai had some special gifts. Pater Felipe und Fabricio erhielten dieses Jahr ganz besondere Geschenke. Fotos: POS Fischer © 2007
La juventud tiene sus propias ideas para el año 2007. Young people presenting their ideas and wishes for 2007. Die Jugend hat ihre eigenen Vorstellungen vom Jahr 2007.
La Hna. Anne-Meike está alegre porque ”todo completo es lo mejor!”. Sister Anne-Meike is glad as "the entire Christmas package is the best gift" Schwester Anne-Meike freut sich, weil “alles zusammen, das beste Weihnachsgeschenkt ist!”
El Padre Heinrich Walter desea un Schoenstatt jóven, alegre y abierto. Father Heinrich Walter would like a young, joyful, open Schoenstatt Pater Heinrich Walter wünscht ein junges, fröhliches, offenes Schoenstatt. Fotos: T. Wieland © 2007
Teresa Wieland  y Tomás Garzón, en Schoenstatt como voluntarios de la Oficina de Prensa Teresa Wieland and Tomás Garzón, in Schoenstatt as volunteers of PressOffice Schoenstatt Teresa Wieland and  Tomás Gorzón, in Schönstatt als Praktikant/innen des PressOffice Foto: POS Fischer © 2007
José y Rosa Maria Wieland tienen deseos muy diversos para el próximo año. Josef and Rosa Maria Wieland have a whole sample of different wishes. Josef und Rosa Maria Wieland haben ganz verschiedene Wuensche zum neuen Jahr. Foto: Wieland © 2007

SCHÖNSTATT, Teresa Wieland. As a child, every year after holidays it was the same question: "What was your best Christmas present?" Now as adults we can make this question in another way: what was YOUR best Christmas present 2006? We went around Schoenstatt and asked that question to different people. Although most answers were quite ordinary, there were some very curious ones.

First some obstacles had to be passed. The difficulties to get the people you want to talk to, are more than you expect, but after several phone calls and stopping by the offices once and again, the interviewees were found. The presents this year are as varied as people can be: perfumes, music discs, jewellery, books…but sometimes people also tell you the miracles they’ve experienced on Christmas Eve, like Schoenstatt Father Felipe Bezanilla, Chilean student in Rome.

Christmas Eve in Rome

"We (some Fathers and youth) went to the Holy Mass at midnight in St. Peter´s Cathedral in Rome. It was unbelievable, because we wanted to go in but there was such a long line that we got the impression we would spend the night outside, even though we had invitations. Well, by advice of a Vatican friend, we tried to enter through the side door, which is normally reserved for ambassadors, and obviously the Swiss Guard didn’t let us in. Suddenly, half an hour before the Mass started, we don’t know why, they allowed us to enter the first row! We stood there, next to the altar and couldn’t believe what had happened! We were really close to the altar, closer than the cardinals! The best present you can ever imagine, what else do you need?" Fabrizio Usai, member of the Schoenstatt Youth in Rome tells about his present: "The holy mass in the shrine in Belmonte. It was the first time we had Christmas mass in the shrine. And my biggest wish is that the movement here in Rome grows more and more."

International gifts

Schoenstatt is always full of people from different countries and so the presents each one likes the most are as special as people are. "To have had the possibility to talk to my family, crying like a little child, watching everyone through the web cam was my personal Christmas present", says Ildefonso from Mexico. "And for me: to be here as a volunteer in the Press Office and to come to Europe", adds Thomas from Argentina. Alexandra, from Poland, staying in Schoenstatt for some days explains that to come back to Schoenstatt "was the greatest for me". Daniela from Chile agrees, and says: "to get to know the people I spent these days with."

Presents all over the world

Many presents cannot be measured in money, so for Father Heinrich Walter, General director of Schoenstatt Fathers, the new priests in Nigeria were his favourite Christmas present, and our "new interests in Paraguay" follows Dietger Kuller, brother of Mary. "The holy mass with our new archbishop Ignazio Sana, a family feast", describes Peter Wolf, director of the Diocesan Priests.

Sister Anne-Meike from the Wallfahrt appoints what many may be thinking "The best present? There are so many! I don’t know where to begin. For example, that every day the church was full for the "Ten minutes by the by the crib", or the donated cookies we got for this event, or the team that works together with me. There are so many gifts you cannot just talk about one, it’s the entire situation what makes it the best!

Wishes for next year

What is the future going to bring? What are the plans for this year? What are the ideals which guide the Schoenstatt family in 2007?

"A hitch to the wideness for the family of Schoenstatt", like this year’s motto says. "You guide us into the wideness", wishes Father Lothar Penner, head of the movement in Germany while Sister M. Jacoba, head of the Sisters of Mary hopes that "the process for the sanctification of our father and founder goes on". Josef and Rosa Maria Wieland, head of the Federation of Families, have clear wishes for different situations. "For our family: we want our children to find their place in the world. For Germany: that family gets a more important role, and authentic politicians. For the world: peace between Palestine and Israel; for the Schoenstatt family: that we discover pastoral care of the Father in Milwaukee and that many people find an answer for there life here, by the shrine." These are wishes they share with a lot of people.

Youth wishes

"I would like to learn something about self education and to find my vocation", says Theresia Turinsky, part of the girls youth in Freiburg. "That my friends show more comprehension for my faith", wishes Dorothea Hyneck. But there are also practical wishes like "find a place for a practice as midwife", says Annette Zimmerer, or "to graduate from High School", as Theresia Leibold hopes for next year. Everything is mixed: health, getting children, an own department, find a job are the expectations for 2007. What many of the share is the wish to come back to Schoenstatt, relax a little in this atmosphere, find strength but also to bring more people to this place and give them a home at this place.

Schoenstatt alive!

Father Heinrich Walter has yet a wish which includes the idea of giving a home. "Schoenstatt should be alive like during the World Youth Day, young, happy, affectionate, familiar and wide open. I wish that Schoenstatt changes from the inside, and it would be great if during summer a lot of young people from all over the world would come to participate in Schoenstatt Summer". How many of these wishes are going to come true, nobody knows. "There’s no deceive in wishing", so, like our father taught us: if Father God finds it good for us and allows it, we want it all!