300 new subscriptions in 24 hours

International news agencies aired the virtual retreat of Father Nicolas Schwizer

Durante una Misa During a Holy Mass Bei einer heiligen Messe
Predicando Preaching Bei der Predigt
Con misioneros de la Campaña en Santa Maria In Santa Maria, with missionaries of the Campaign In Santa Maria mit Missionaren der Kampagne
Con la Peregrina en manos With the Pilgrim MTA ... Mit der Pilgernden Gottesmutter in der Hand...
En casa de una familia Visiting with a family Familienbesuch
En un encuentro de familias en Nuevo Schoenstatt At a family meeting in Nuevo Schoenstatt Bei einem Treffen der Familien in Nuevo Schoenstatt Fotos: Cabral/Schoenstatt Paraguay © 2007

PARAGUAY, Javier Cabral/mkf. "Javier, have you ever thought that this service could be posted on several Catholic websites as a way of making the thinking of Father Kentenich known? Amazed with this success…and going for more," was a thirty word comment made by Father Antonio Cosp, Director of the Schoenstatt Movement in Paraguay, uniting two favorite subjects about Schoenstatt in this country: making Schoenstatt known – the Covenant of Love, the Shrine, Father Kentenich, communication, using the Internet and the media in general to evangelize. I am referring to the Reflections of Father Nicolas, a virtual retreat posted twice monthly via the Internet, and the number of subscribers growing daily. A few days after Father Cosp’s comments, we had the idea of not only offering the text to Catholic portals; but to also send a notice about this service to Catholic news agencies on the international level. On November 20^th an excellently written notice by Nieves de Martin was posted on Zenit, and 24 hours later…there were 300 new subscriptions.

"A disabled Schoenstatt father evangelizes through the Internet: More than 1,500 people receive Father Nicolas’ talks" , read the headline of Zenit, the international catholic news agency; the article is stressing the commitment of a lay team, who has initiated the publication of Father Nicolas Schwizer’s abundant and rich material via email, which would presently be distributed in Spanish, English, Portuguese, and German to 1,500 people throughout the world.

Father Nicolas continues preaching via the Internet was the title of one of the first articles on schoenstatt.de about this initiative, and it caught the attention of newsmen as well as readers…A priest who gives himself completely to the work of evangelization, a priest who lost his speech, and the ability to preach as a result of a terrible accident offers his pain; a group of lay persons have opened the way for him to continue preaching, and there is a strong growth of subscribers from within and outside of the Schoenstatt Movement: this is a story that would be good for a motivational movie for evangelization using new means. This, however, isn’t about a movie, it’s a reality.

Men who radiate the joy of being filled with God

"I am grateful to Father God for having found the story about the Reflections of Father Nicolas on ZENIT. I would appreciate it so much if you would send them to me. I am a religious, and I am also disabled, which prevents me from participating in the annual retreats of my congregation, the Capuchin Franciscan Sisters of Mother Rubito," writes Sister Alicia from Spain.

Those who like Father Nicolas suffer from some type of disability feel attracted in a special way by his texts. And why not? It’s life that enkindles life…

"I am Juan, and I have been blind since birth and I access the Internet through a system with a computerized voice that reads the documents. Through Zenit I have discovered these reflections and retreats and I would like to subscribe. I am from Seville, Spain…"

"We work with Catholic blind people in Chile and your spiritual contribution would be very important. Thank you very much in advance," writes Paulus Verbakel.

In the first posting of Father Nicolas’ virtual retreat they heard him speak about the "great gift of encountering people who seem to be a dwelling of God. They are men who radiate the joy of being filled with God. Men who because they are filled with God also manifest in their lives the total freedom to love and to receive. They’re men who aren’t paralyzed or impeded to love and receive by any network, nor any idol…"

From Spain, Chile, Dubai, Cuba, Argentina, Uruguay, USA, Peru, Honduras…

The readers of Zenit have subscribed from unexpected places such as Yamotoshi, Japan or Dubai. Similarly, there have been several requests from Cuba. "If we continue like this, Fidel is going to get angry with us…" commented Javier Cabral.

When Susana G. subscribed she wrote: "I belong to the Diocese of Mercedes in Uruguay and I work in my parish presenting the pre-Baptismal retreats. I collaborate with the Cursillo Movement, and with the weekly radio program that my parish has here in Carmelo, where I live." Like her, Betty Brocata who is also in Cursillo Movement in Honduras wants to use Father Nicolas’ texts for her apostolate: I collaborate with the Communication media of the Catholic Church in Honduras and I would like to receive Father Nicolas’ reflections for my personal growth and to serve within my movement and in the Church".

Teresa X. was one of the first to subscribe and she introduced herself by saying: "I am a Philippine, a committed lay person, and a member of the Teresiana Institute founded by Saint Pedro Poveda of Spain; presently I work in Peru in the field of higher education, and I am also a family counselor."

"Cordial greetings, I want to subscribe to the Reflections sent by Father Nicolas. "I learned about them on the Catholic, Net portal, and I am very interested in obtaining the Reflections to have material and to continue working in building the Kingdom of God in my parish of Santa Ana, located in Bello Antioquia, Colombia," writes Adolfo Cañas, a committed layperson from the Archdiocese of Medellin, Colombia.

"I am a priest and I am interested in using Father Nicolas’ talks for my priestly formation. He is a priest of the Blessed Mother, I am always on a mission with the Blessed Mother, I believe that what this man of God does on the Internet is good, I will be glad to receive his reflections and I pray that the Blessed Mother will always accompany him," writes Father Carlos Mora, Pastor of Saint John the Baptist, Brinkmann, in the Province of Córdoba, Argentina.

Beyond the Movement

In response to the German article in Zenit, it’s interesting to see the number of pastors, deacons, and members of Orders from Austria and Germany who have asked for the material. "I believe that it is a way to reach beyond the Movement," says Javier Cabral. The time to offer the entire Church what God has worked in Schoenstatt is now; this has been heard many times in the context of the preparation for the year 2014, the Schoenstatt centennial. Almost one hundred years ago it was a magazine edited by Father Kentenich that took the Schoenstatt ideas (rather, the Schoenstatt life!) beyond the Movement, making the number of subscribers ten times more than the total members of the Movement. In the year 2014 the means will be the Internet…The Zenit articles, like that of Aciprensa and Fides that published a similar notice on November 21^st, pointed out www.schoenstatt.de as the source of the spirituality from where Father Nicolas got his messages. It’s good that it exists and it’s also good within Schoenstatt that there are people who understand their potential and of evangelizing via the internet.

And how should one not be happy about the following subscription? "Blessings for your ministry. Please, I would like to subscribe to your reflections. May God reward you.." +Juan María Leonardi Villasmil, Bishop of Punto Fijo, Venezuela.

Faithful from Spain, Chile, Dubai, Cuba, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, USA, Peru, Honduras, France, Colombia, Mexico, Venezuela, Honduras, Guatemala, Brazil, Germany, and Austria subscribed for the virtual retreat of Father Nicolas; they are people who belong to Movements, congregations, and orders. There are Jesuits, Redemptorists, and Benedictines among those who asking for material.

There is interest in a report about Father Nicolas

Francisco Otero, Editor of the "The Business Gazette" in Madrid, writes: "I am a journalist for religious information for The Gazette. I would like to write a report about Father Nicolas Schwizer. I want to write about his life, the initiative to preach through the Web, the number of subscribers he has, and from which countries…etc".

"Aparecida values the role of the laity much more as it refers to the lay evangelical activity and the number of laity in the present culture; it is precisely in this field where the baptized are called to communicate about Christ", stressed Father Justo Ariel Beramendi, Official of the Spanish Language of the Pontifical Council for Social Communication. The initiative of some laity in Ciudad del Este, Paraguay to make Schoenstatt known will appear in the history books some day.

Your mission is my mission

"I take this opportunity to congratulate you for the determination and the enterprise to which you have consecrated yourselves, thank you for bringing the Word of God to our computer. Thank you, because in some way, through his words we also receive the spirituality of Father Nicolas, who from what I can see is a living saint, above all because of what he has gone through as a result of his accident. I believe that all of this is a testimony," writes Robert Duran from Mexico.

 Once again a spiritual son of Father Kentenich, who gave his life in spreading the mission of his Father and Founder, brings him to light…during the year in which the Schoenstatt Family from Paraguay has committed to live the motto: Father, here I am, your mission is my mission.

• At this time there are more than 2,100 subscribers. A cordial expression of gratitude to Nieves San Martin, Miriam Diaz, and Dominik Hartig from Zenit www.zenit.org
• As well as to the journalists from Aciprensa www.aciprensa.com, Catholic Net, and Fides www.fides.org , and to Father Antonio Cosp for such a brilliant idea.
• Zenit has also published the notice in German, Fides also published it in Italian.
• Catholic Net (www.catholic.net) uploaded the texts in English.
• Translation: Celina Garza, Harlingen, TX, USA/amj