Cap 2014

South Africa Begins its 2014 Preparation

Retiro de la Campaña de la Virgen Peregrina Retreat of the Schoenstatt Pilgrim Mother Campaign Treffen der Kampagne der Pilgernden Gottesmutter
Cada grupo y rama tiene una página en “Schoenstatt 2014 Times” Each group or branch has a page in the “Schoenstatt 2014 Times” Jede Gruppe oder Gliederung hat eine Seite in der “Schönstatt 2014 Times“
Procesión al Santuario Procession to the Shrine Prozession zum Heiligtum
Gorro 2014 Cap 2014 Kappe 2014
Los dos mensajeros del centenario de la Alianza The two ambassadors of the Centenary of the Covenant Die beiden Botschafter von 2014 Fotos: Sarah-Leah Pimentel © 2009

SOUTH AFRICA, Sarah Leah Pimentel. The Schoenstatt Family in Gauteng, South Africa has begun its preparations for the 2014 centenary celebrations.

To assist us in the preparations, we received a special representative directly from the 2014 Conference held in Germany from 1-7 February – Cap 2014. All those who assisted with the conference were given a cap as a thank you for their hard work, but it seems that for the cap – Cap 2014 – the work has only just begun! Schoenstatt Family in Gauteng Province has taken Cap 2014 as its symbol for the 2014 centenary preparations.

The first step was to produce the first edition of our "Schoenstatt 2014 Times" which will be circulated among all the branches. The front page headline read "Aurum Patris Shrine Welcomes 2014 Representative," followed by an interview with Cap 2014 who explained some of the outcomes of the 2014 Conference and what all this means for the Gauteng Schoenstatt Family. Other articles reported some of the things the Schoenstatt Family in other countries have already started to do to prepare for 2014. Each of the branches were then invited write down how they will prepare for 18 October 2014 and each branch was given a page in the newspaper to write down their preparations.

The Pilgrim Mother Campaign - first to receive "Schoenstatt 2014 Times"

The Pilgrim Mother Campaign was the first to receive the "Schoenstatt 2014 Times" on 22 March when members from various parishes around Johannesburg came to the shrine for a retreat day. During the afternoon’s programme, they even received a visit from Cap 2014 who personally shared some of moments of the conference with them. It was with great excitement that they sat in small groups and discussed their contributions.

Things became even more exciting when the groups began to present their ideas. One group suggested that all the members of the Pilgrim Mother Campaign come together and raise funds to send one of their members to represent them at the centenary celebrations in 2014. At this point an elderly lady stood up and declared that she was going to start saving so that she would also be able to go! A general murmur of agreement went around the hall as people nodded and said that they were also going to start saving.

Their other suggestions were:

• Tell our children about Schoenstatt;
• Bring the youth in their parishes on pilgrimage to Schoenstatt;
• Popularise the Pilgrim Mother in the parishes;
• Hold ‘Schoenstatt Days’ in the parishes and invite the parish priest to participate so that as many people as possible can learn about Schoenstatt;
• Promote Schoenstatt in the Archdiocesan News, the monthly newspaper produced by our Archdiocese of Johannesburg;
• Prepare a prayer for the 2014 preparations that everyone will pray at 9:00pm every night, the time that Fr. Kentenich gave his blessing over his entire Schoenstatt Family

2014 days before October 18, 2014

This last suggestion was put to the Schoenstatt Diocesan Council when they met on 28 March. The Council welcomed the idea and invited all the branches to make contributions to this prayer and the suggestions will be put together into a 2014 prayer for Gauteng which we will all begin to pray at 9pm on 14 April, exactly 2014 days before 18 October 2014.

Really prepare themselves and others to celebrate Schoenstatt’s centenary

The Women’s League also received the "Schoenstatt 2014 Times" and a visit from Cap 2014. It was with great enthusiasm that they also took up the challenge to really prepare themselves and others to celebrate Schoenstatt’s centenary, regardless of whether they are in here in Gauteng or in Schoenstatt, Germany on 18 October 2014. The members of the Women’s League are very active in their parishes and throughout the archdiocese, where they work with the youth, Pilgrim Mother circles and are involved in various social projects that promote a culture of life. Looking at their areas of influence, the Women’s League would like to:

• Hold Schoenstatt Fun Days at their parishes so that people can learn more about Schoenstatt;
• Hold vigils or hours adoration in the Shrine several times a year to pray for all those people who come to the shrine looking for comfort and help to their problems;
• Rekindle Shelterseeking in parishes where this tradition has faded and start up Shelterseeking in new parishes;
• Hold youth leadership training workshops at the shrine for young people throughout the archdiocese and in this way, spread the practical aspects of Fr. Kentenich’s pedagogy to others.

The "Schoenstatt 2014 Times" and Cap 2014 has now gone to the Family Union and we can’t wait to see what wonderful ideas they and the other branches come up with so that the entire Schoenstatt Family in Gauteng can begin to prepare for Schoenstatt’s centenary in 2014!