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 published: 2007-04-03

Schoenstatt is full of life and joy

Holy Week in Schoenstatt – Encounters in the Original Shrine

 

Domingo de Ramos en Schoenstatt: bendición de los ramos

Palm Sunday in Schoenstatt: blessing

Palmsonntag in Schönstatt: Segnung der Palmzweige

Foto: Sr. Anne-Meike Brück © 2007

 

Procesión a la Iglesia de Peregrinos

Procession to the Pilgrims’ Church

Prozession zur Pilgerkirche

 
 

Estuvieron muchos participantes de jornadas y retiros

Many participants of retreats were present

Auch viele Tagungsteilnehmer waren dabei

 
 

Los niños llevaron simbolos

The children brought symbols

Die Kinder brachten Symbole, die die Leidensgeschichte veranschaulichen

 
 

Juventud Masculina de la diócesis de Mainz: taller en la Oficina de Prensa

Schoenstatt Boys Youth from the diocese of Mainz during a workshop at PressOffice

SMJ der Diözese Mainz bei einem Workshop im PressOffice

 

Jovenes de la JF de Asunción, Paraguay, en Sonnenau

Members of the Schoenstatt Girls’ Youth of Paraguay in Sonnenau

Siebzehnjähirge aus der Mädchenjugend von Asunción, Paraguay, in der Sonnenau

Fotos: POS Fischer © 2007

 
   

SCHOENSTATT, MKF. Holy Week began in Schoenstatt with spring like weather and a "symphony" of colored flowers everywhere. Palm Sunday was celebrated like the previous years with the active participation of the small children, who enjoy their very important role in the procession and the Holy Mass. Pilgrims from Spain, Uruguay, Argentina, Chile, Paraguay and Mexico, members of the Boys’ Youth, the Girls’ Youth, and many strollers from Vallendar and the surrounding area flooded Schoenstatt with their joy, their smiles, their life and their stories.

A large group of the Mothers’ Branch from the Diocese of Munster, young couples with their small children, about 20 boys from the Boys’ Group from the Diocese of Mainz and many other participants congregated on Sunday at 10:30 a.m. at the road in front of the Pilgrims’ Church. Holding palm fronds decorated with red ribbons and spring flowers, young and old listened attentively to the narration of Jesus’ entrance to Jerusalem, especially when Father Franz Widmaier announced that next year he wants to organize the Palm Sunday procession with a real donkey! Although this year we had to imagine the little donkey, it was a solemn and joyful procession to the Pilgrims’ Church, still surrounded by scaffolding being used for fixing the roof. In contrast, everything in the interior of the church reflected a beautiful scene of accompaniment of Jesus on his way to Jerusalem, in his pain and suffering and His Easter Resurrection: the cross was decorated with flowers, palm fronds, a road…During the Gospel, some boys brought rocks to the altar as a symbol of the injustice, pain and anguish that Jesus had to suffer, and little candles as a symbol of the time of relief, of consolation, of hope, rays of light in the midst of the total darkness of his stations of the cross and the stations of the cross of each human being who suffers. During the offertory, the same boys took nails, a crown of thorns, a cloth and a jar to the altar. "It was truly beautiful, since they also participated in this celebration last year", said one of the mothers. "This Mass was for the children, but the adults did not miss anything; it was a solemn, fitting celebration that touched the heart, it was a beautiful motivation for Holy Week".

A four hour adventure

On March 29th, four young girls from Asuncion, Paraguay, of 17 years of age, experienced a madness of love for four hours in Schoenstatt. They arrived at Schoenstatt on the next to the last day of their stay in Germany after three months as exchange students along with other companions close to Hamburg. During all this time Maria José had a dream: to come to Schoenstatt with her friends. Finally, after spending the night in a youth hostel in Ehrenbreitstein, a few kilometers from Schoenstatt, on the last day of a two week tour through Germany, the great moment arrived. But there are no roses without thorns. Everything was perfectly organized to arrive at the Original Shrine before it closed. But they encountered several mishaps: the Original Shrine was closed for repairs, an unexpected change of schedule caused a one hour delay, they missed the stop and they got off 4 kms. from where they were to be picked up to be brought to Schoenstatt, and to top it off it was raining!! It was at this moment that the Blessed Mother intervened; A German lady, who saw them so distraught midway on the route, took them by car to the meeting place and they were happily on their way to Schoenstatt. They prayed and sang outside of the Original Shrine in the midst of the rain, embracing the Shrine with emotion, holding a vigil with lighted candles, and demonstrating their great affection for the Blessed Mother. "This year we want to seal our Covenant of Love, Carmen commented. "It is very touching to be here, although we could not enter…" After a speedy tour through Mount Mary with visits to Tabor Shrine, Mount Sion and Mount Moriah, Christel Sinnhuber waited for them at "their house", House Sonnenau, the house of the Girls’ Youth, with a delicious supper. The highlight was at 10:00 p.m. when they had a private hour at Father’s tomb, with prayers, songs and Father’s blessing for their group, the Girls’s Youth of Asuncion and all the Schoenstatt Family from Paraguay.

Translation: Celina Garza, Harlingen, TX, USA

 

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