A knowledge of the Founder not found in books

Some impressions, reflections of a pilgrimage to Milwaukee – a month after returning from Exile Land

Los peregrinos de Sudafrica y Zimbabwe a las orillas del Lago Michigan Pilgrims from South Africa.& Zimbabwe on the shore of Lake Michigan Pilger aus Südafrika und Zimbabwe am Ufer des Michigan-Sees
Hermana Petra Sr. Petra Schwester Petra
La estatua del Padre Kentenich en Waukesha At the Statue  of the Father and Founder at the International Shrine Bei der Vaterstatue am Internationalen Schönstatt Center
Visita del Santuario Hogar de la familia Horn Enjoying our visit to the Horn family's home shrine Besuch im Hausheiligtum der Familie Horn
En Madison Under The Oak Tree, Founder Shrine, Madison,  in background Besuch in Madison
Descansando en Old World Wisconsin Relaxing after an interesting day visiting Old World Wisconsin Entspanunng nach einem interessanten Tag in Old World Wisconsin Photos: Tish Holding © 2007 Álbum de fotos – photo album – Fotoalbum

USA/ZIMBABWE/SOUTH AFRICA, Marlene Peter. For a very long time, after we had been in Schoenstatt and had gotten to know more about Fr. Kentenich, I had wished (without much hope) to visit Milwaukee where he was in exile. When my son Trevor was at university in America I had a little hope. But nothing came of it. Finally at last, after pilgrimages to Schoenstatt Germany, our Mothers’ Union began to speak of a pilgrimage to Milwaukee. The wish turned into concrete plans being made for 2007.

I think all of us who finally set out on our journey to Chicago, can say our Blessed Mother worked in big and little ways to make it possible, and even threw in some nice extras: like Francis and I getting upgraded to Club Class on British airways when we left Zimbabwe! (Maybe she was glad we were taking our husbands along with us!)

We arrived at Chicago’s O’Hare airport within a few hours of each other and traveled by chartered bus to the International Schoenstatt Center. The countryside on the way impressed me. It was beautiful and the land on which the center and the Shrine are built was like a gift from God, so green, open, and peaceful.  We were welcomed, shown our rooms, a picture of Fr. Kentenich smiling to welcome us. We walked up the road to the Shrine for a short visit (it was dark by now). At last we were there, our tiredness briefly forgotten. I thought, "Wherever I go in this world our Shrine will be the same with our MTA and her Son Jesus to welcome us." It gives a sense of security and familiarity that being part of a family does.

Although he was forbidden so much he was not forbidden to contribute to the capital of grace, and to pray.

We met with Sister Petra –who right now is visiting Paraguay! - at 9 am next morning in the international room, a comfortable room with a display of various items from many countries. She is short and slim (though the habits they wear sometimes give a different impression of the sisters’ sizes.); they say dynamite comes in small packages. She was a ball of energy and gave us a warm welcome. We had come to the ‘exile land’ to experience Fr. Kentenich’s life and work as a founder in this place so far from his foundation. As she spoke of him, Sister Petra was alive with all she had experienced in the time (3 years) that she had spent with him in Milwaukee. Each day the insights she shared with us, experiences, things he said and did, gave us a knowledge of the founder that cannot be found in books. She led us to imagine what it would be like to be removed from our work after years of service and try to consider what Fr. Kentenich went through. But he was convinced he would be set free and was not ‘broken’ by the treatment he received. Something Sister said made me think. Although he was forbidden so much, he was not forbidden to contribute to the capital of grace, and to pray, which is something to remember when our backs are up against a wall. Acceptance and obedience were important to Fr. Kentenich, God’s will for a purpose. He looked at was forbidden, sought to discover what was not allowed, and what was. He looked for the possibilities God gave him to fulfill his work. He took the given situation and made the best of it.

The disciples

We were here to encounter Fr. Kentenich and walk in his footsteps. I thought when I saw the countryside around us that the sisters certainly had an eye for a perfect piece of land. They are only human, so our Blessed Mother must have been the one to point them in the right direction. Didn’t Fr. Kentenich say when he was in the bunker in solitary confinement  "the Blessed Mother only picks the best nappies for her children?" And Fr. Kentenich was one of her favorites! In the afternoon of our first day when we went to the Exile shrine in Milwaukee – the shrine where Fr. Kentenich watched over as it was being built from his office in the Pallotine House - Sister first set the scene by asking us to picture him walking up and down the pathway, praying when he was alone, listening and talking when he had a visitor. It made the pictures we have seen of him doing so very real. Here was a kind of reverence as we approached like we were walking on holy ground; the trees and the squirrels scurrying by it is a holy place. Inside the Shrine, Jesus was exposed on the altar – Fr. Kentenich celebrated mass there over 3, 000 times!  Sister Petra told us that he said our MTA followed him into exile. She radiated love, strength, and joy for him. His fourteen years of exile were a school of suffering – his Way of the Cross-, fourteen stations offered for the redemption of the family. He lived everyday sanctity in the here and now, lived perfectly practical faith in Divine Providence. He looked for the open door. It amazed me how sister Petra had been so inspired by Fr. Kentenich when she was so young and how so many little and big details of his words and actions were alive in her. She ‘brought’ him to life for us. Did the disciples have such enthusiasm? What about us?

Sharing

The people who Sister arranged to talk to us about their meeting and time spent with Fr. Kentenich were impressive. All came to experience him as a ‘father’ in various ways. Sister Janice spoke of the time when as a young girl she had asked if she could speak to him when she arrived. Father-like, he suggested that she get some sleep first, sensing that she was tired. Sister M. Simonette on another occasion said that once when she asked Fr. Kentenich if she could go with him in the car and there was no room she jokingly asked if she could go in his pocket. He said she could, in his ‘heart pocket.’ He also lent her one of his nightshirts when her suitcases did not arrive. The Sisters and the couples we met who had been young married couples when they came to know him told of how he cared not only for their spiritual needs but also their physical practical and financial needs. He even helped save their marriages! These people showed a very human side to Fr. Kentenich when they made us laugh with some of their reminisces. Henry and Dorothy Gmeinder from Madison had us in stitches. Not many people can share their experiences of life with their parish priest and display such closeness, friendship, love, and gratitude.

Because he was there…

A special day for me was our visit to Madison especially my meeting Martha Bindl for the first time. We have been pen pals since around 1990. That was so special. God’s Providence is so perfect. Without Schoenstatt, and Father Kentenich being sent into exile in America we would not have come to know each other! Our extracurricular activities were notable, the picnics, shopping, dinner at a large buffet restaurant, visit to the lake, the Capitol, Old World Wisconsin, etc. etc. We were given a wonderful overview and Sister Petra did what I am sure Fr. Kentenich would have done – as a caring father – made sure we had the very best care. Note I haven’t mentioned food etc. We were well catered for. Even the weather (Per kind favor of St. Peter Holding) was good to us.

We have time to reflect on our experiences in the Exile land and recall so many memorable moments. My only wish is that all our sisters could have been there with us because our words are not enough.

Marlene Peter, resident of Zimbabwe, is member of the first course of the Mothers’ Federation of South Africa and Zimbabwe. She first visited Schoenstatt as a member of the delegation of Zimbabwe at the Centenary of Father Kentenich in 1985. Together with Fr. Esteban Uriburu, she worked for the spreading of the Schoenstatt Rosary Campaign in Zimbabwe.