Historic Effective Visions Unite Great Horizons and Small Steps

Grateful remembrance of the Founder becomes a calling to the Schoenstatt Family – "May the great horizons indicated by our Founder awaken creativity and a new understanding in us"

El matrimonio Bernhard y Elisabeth Neiser sobre grandes horizontes y peqeuños pasos en la Obra Familiar Elisabeth and Bernhard Neiser spoke about wide horizons and small steps in the Family Movement Ehepaar Elisabeth und Bernhard Neiser sprach über große Horizonte und kleine Schritte in der Familienbewegung
Hora de oración con un rosario de los pequeños pasos de la vida diaria en los grandes horizontes de la Alianza de Amor Prayer time with a rosary on the little steps in daily life seen in the wide horizon of the Covenant of Love Gebetszeit mit einem Rosenkranz, der die kleinen Schritte des Alltags in den großen Horizont des Liebesbündnisses stellte
Un rosario vivo A living rosary Ein Rosenkranz mitten aus dem Leben
15 de septiembre: Misa conmemorativa en la Iglesia de la Adoración September 15: commemorative Mass in the Adoration Church 15. September: Gedenkgottesdienst in der Anbetungskirche
Oración de los sacerdotes en la tumba del Padre The celebrants praying at Father Kentenich’s tomb Gebet der Priester am Grab Pater Kentenichs
El lugar de su fallecimiento con la carpeta de azucenas y claveles The place of his home going marked by a carpet of white lilies and carnations Der Ort seines Sterbens ist mit einem Teppich aus weißen Lilien und Nelken geschmückt Fotos: POS Fischer © 2007 Álbum de fotos – photo album – Fotoalbum

SCHOENSTATT, mkf. A man who places his vision on the mission of the West within the history of salvation and at the same time places his interest on the practical handling of youth; a man who strongly traces the traits of a new pedagogical concept motivated by the idea of freedom and who sends a pair of woolen socks to a young man who is freezing on the Russian front; a man of great horizons and small steps who in creative tension becomes a model of life for people who live immersed amid today’s world. Great horizons and small steps: "In the Father and Founder, we stand before a personality who opens great horizons and unites them in small steps," affirms Father Angel Strada. On the eve of September 15^th, Father Angel also demonstrated that nothing in the process of canonization of Father Kentenich progresses without countless small steps – and since he radiates, behind everything, the great horizon of a personality which he has imprinted on his foundation with the characteristics of a new age.

On the eve of September 15^th, anniversary of the death of Father Joseph Kentenich, the Schoenstatt Family from various places united for a vigil. In Schoenstatt, for many years now, the team which works for the canonization of Father Kentenich is in charge of this vigil and the early-morning Mass on September 15^th. It is at the hour and the place where Father Kentenich died, the old sacristy where his tomb is. The idea is not only to offer an hour of prayer in memory of Father Kentenich, but to make use of this day to transmit one or another aspect of his personality and mission. This year, the highlighted aspect was the personality of Father Kentenich which embraces great horizons and the application of these horizons in daily life through small, concrete and effective steps. With this in mind, Father Angel Strada gave a talk on the process of canonization, Mr. and Mrs. Neiser spoke on the Family Work, and Hildegard Fischer gave her testimony "Covenant of Love lived daily to the maximum limit." The evening vigil was connected to the hour of prayer and the extraordinary homily of Father Angel Strada the following morning.

Much too extensive for the archives of the Congregation for the Saints

A search for 150 files throughout the world, 27, 000 writings, 12,000 letters from 1 to 900 pages in length, the total documentation of one thousand books, 300 pages each, is the collection only for the orthodoxy judgment…..much too extensive for the archives of the Congregation for the Saints. The summary which has been reduced to 8,000 documents is not too brief in reality…..

A new sensation – perception – intuition runs rampant among the listeners in the Adoration Church as they hear these numbers presented by Father Angel Strada: on the one hand, it is still not worth it to purchase tickets for the great festivity of canonization in Rome, and on the other hand, this process which next year will be forty years after the death of Father Kentenich, will be finalized at the diocesan level and will then go on to Rome. This process has required a great deal of responsible and meticulous work.

What has been finalized – narrates Father Angel – with the declaration of the witnesses for and against the candidate is the orthodoxy judgment of the published writings, the presentation of scientific biographies, and the documentation of the writings not published. The translation of all the material into Spanish which is the official language of the process (let us recall that German is not considered as one of the official languages of the Church) is 90% completed. What is lacking is the declaration of the reputation of sanctity without which there can be no canonization. The reputation of sanctity is traditionally measured by the number of answered prayers which in Father’s case adds up to one million coming from 85 countries – from finding the car keys to the experiences of strength, peace and reconciliation and radical life changes motivated by encountering Father Kentenich. The spread and the growth of the Movement are also factors which contribute to the reputation of sanctity.

None of the "servants of God" from the Schoenstatt Family until now has worked a miracle, highlighted Father Angel – at least none with the real possibility of being accepted as a miracle for the process. Nevertheless, a miracle would greatly advance the process, not only at this time, but also when the process is in Rome, affirmed Father Angel. But: "That a miracle takes place is not in our power, but it is God who decides when the time should be."

In regard to the other processes, speaking in terms of a race, the gold medal would be for Carl Leisner who has been beatified, and recently they began in Munster the study of a miracle which could open the doors for his canonization. Next would be Sister Emilie whose process is already in Rome and whose fundamental document has been submitted. The bronze star would be for Joseph Engling followed by Mario Hiriart whose process is also in Rome. Almost at the same level are the processes of Joao Pozzobon (which in a few months may reach Rome) and that of Father Kentenich (on the way to Rome in 2008).

The other processes – that of Father Franz Reinisch and Gertraud von Bullion – are still in the beginning phase.

Lastly, Father Angel expressed his enormous gratitude to all those who with heroic dedication have, until now, offered their time and strength for the process.

"Life is canonized, not ideas," he emphasized. In the end, life is what will advance Father’s process because the main question is: "How much strength does his life develop – the great horizons and the small steps of his life – in the life of men and women today?

Father would arrive at my daycare with chocolates for the children, teddy bears and the Covenant of Love

Elizabeth and Bernhard Neiser, General Superior family of the Family Institute, responded to this question with a talk on the history of the Family Work indicating the great horizons which Father embraced in the foundation and how, in Milwaukee, he helped the families to grow – with his fatherliness and special attention to their needs. There were also small steps which contributed to the foundation of the Institute and are repeated today with the festivity in the Shrine for the Families, for example, scheduled for Saturday the 22nd.

What would happen if Father Kentenich would appear at your place of work to found Schoenstatt there? What lacks and sufferings would he find there as open doors to found Schoenstatt?" Hildegard Fischer asked the stunned audience. Hildegard Fischer, 46, belongs to the branch of Professional Women and works as a teacher in a facility for children. She also works as a social-pedagogical assistant for families. Almost 100 years ago, she said, Father responded with the Covenant of Love for the needs of the times. "He said to the boys: You do not have to go alone to this world war: God is with you everywhere you are. In reality, he always repeats anew in the development of Schoenstatt’s history – in a thousand and fascinating ways – only two words: Covenant of Love and "God is present." He is present in the center of daily life. The Covenant of Love means: Nothing without You, Nothing without us. Nothing without You means – from the First World War to the most pressing realities of today like those of young drug addicts and abused children – God the Father tells us: I am here, I bear the burden with you, I assume the burden with you, I work through you: I am love. Nothing without us means: I am loved, I am dear, I am accepted and I am at the exact place where God needs me. I am – in all my smallness – useful to God. My only response should be love, love which is tested when my neighbor who is suffering with cancer, approaches me at the supermarket – where I had stopped briefly for a quick purchase during a work-filled day and I had to go immediately to the night shift – and she begins to cry in my arms and I make her a proposition: I am going to open the gate of the fence between my house and yours to that you can enter your house through my gate with your bicycle and it will be easier for you to take it up the stairway to your house since there is no exit to the street there. In the Marte Meo method (a pedagogical counseling method) they speak of "ingredients" which can be offered or mentioned in order to establish good dialog: coffee, cookies, and the dog. "Father would surely arrive at my daycare with chocolates for the children, teddy bears, and the Covenant of Love," says Hildegard.

Following was a time of prayer in which Hildegard invited everyone to pray together a decade of the Luminous Mysteries. The afore mentioned situations – the concrete case or rather, the concrete person and its application to the life of the Schoenstatt Family – were connected to a verse of HEAVENWARDS which was related to each of the situations and in this way became a living prayer. Florencia, a young woman from Córdoba, Argentina, took a rose to the Rosary which had formed at the foot of the altar and lit a candle for each Hail Mary until there was a living and resplendent Rosary in the Adoration Church. It spread light into all the corners and darkness of daily life. The Third International Auxiliary Shrine presided at the event. Thus, on the eve of September 15^th, a great community of people gathered in Schoenstatt to pray for 14 year-old Hannah who had been abducted, violated and murdered. Shortly before, she had been buried only 60 kilometers from Schoenstatt. The Covenant of Love can embrace pain to the limit. It is not necessary to close one’s eyes. "We pray for Hannah, for the person who murdered her and for all those persons who suffer because of this crime, and we pray for all Schoenstatters throughout the world that they in extreme situations of pain and guilt may feel they have a home in Your Heart and that the love of God the Father also supports them and upholds them in these situations….."

The vigil ends with Eucharistic Adoration and benediction. While everyone sings the Instrument Prayer from HEAVENWARDS, Florencia gives everyone the gift of a rose. Do something. Take the Covenant of Love into your daily life.

The roses offered by Hannah, the neighbor or the colleague on the following day form part of the floral arrangement on Father’s tomb. Are they, in God’s eyes, the most beautiful flowers?

A daily update of his charism for the Church and world

September 15^th, 7:00 A.M. In spite of the early hour, people arrive at the Adoration Church from all directions. As it happened on the preceding afternoon, many go to Father’s tomb where every year, the spot where he died, is decorated with a tapestry of white lilies and carnations. Beside this tapestry, can be seen a multitude of flowers, Pilgrim MTA’s, crowns, photos, letters, Rosaries, all symbols of closeness to Father. To be close to him is what precisely innumerable persons from throughout the world seek. Through these symbols, they give him their daily lives, their fidelity, their surrender, their pain, their commitment to continue forward: Father, bear with us, assume with us, be a part of us…..from this break with attachments which we thought insurmountable, from this decision to enter the community of the Sisters of Mary, from this grave illness of a loved one, from beginning the Campaign in a new parish…..

Father Heinrich Walter, as main celebrant, greeted the Schoenstatt Family as heir community of the Father and Founder and invited them to reflect for a moment: What have we done with his legacy?

"The inevitable and daily more distance of his earthly existence demands a continuous ‘aggiornamento,’ a daily update of his charism for the Church and world," says Father Angel Strada in his homily. "It deals, clearly at a very different level, with the same process of life of the universal Church which after twenty centuries in the Second Vatican Council and following decades, seeks a modernization of the message of Christ." To see other notable faith figures would help to obtain a better focus in order to see the Father and Founder in this creative tension of great horizons and small steps. This can be clearly seen in the person of St. Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, who fights against the narrowness of the synagogue, the norms and traditions of the Jewish religion. He fights against all which impedes the breadth and universality of the Gospel of Christ. "The God of history also places our Founder in front of these great horizons. The secular times of change demand a new type of man who freely chooses Christ from the depth of his inner being. They demand a new type of community which is characterized by a deep solidarity among its members and an active co-responsibility in the realization of a common mission. Our Founder places his hand on the pulse of the time and his ear on the heart of God. He lives in an era where there is no tranquility or harmony," says Father Angel Strada and he affirms emphatically: "Out with the narrowness is his calling after his time in Dachau. With Mary, in hope and joy, confidant in the victory, we go into the newsest times is his last message to the Family." At the same time, he is not afraid to begin "the smallest of tasks in miniature," from person to person.

"The greatest horizons run the risk of ending up in utopian dreams and empty proclamations. On the contrary, they should be motivations for clear objectives and a firm base for concrete projects. The small steps run the risk of ending up as ineffective and dull. The new shores are not found a few meters from solid ground. They demand boldness and a wide vision." Because "historically effective visions unite great horizons and small steps. Both are inseparable."

May the Father and Founder give to his family some of his broadmindedness and of his concrete being in life and in acting was the petition which came forth in many at the end of Mass when the priest celebrants went in procession to Father’s tomb to pray together for his canonization. Father, giant prophet of great and wide horizons, see to it that your family is not so small in stature to take forward your charism…..Stay with us Father with your great paternal work, large and wide, open to your Family!

• Complete text of the homily

Translation: Carlos Cantú Family Federation La Feria, Texas USA 102307