A Pilgrimage through History

62^nd Anniversary of the foundation of the Schoenstatt Movement in Chile

Acta de fundación, firmado por el P. José Kentenich y los primeros Founding Document, signed by Father Kentenich and the founding group Gründungs-Dokument, unterzeichnet von P. Kentenich und den Ersten
Interior de la Capilla, Fundación Mena In the chapel of the Mena Foundation In der Kapelle der Mens-Stiftung
Acta de fundación de la Obra Familiar Founding document of the Family Movement Gründungsurkunde der Familienbewegung
Vista general de la Parroquia San Luis y el altar principal View of St. Luis’ and the main altar Blick auf den Hauptaltar der Pfarrkirche San Luis
Acta inserta en los muros del Santuario de Agua Santa Founding document  - in the Shrine Gründungsdokument im Heiligtum
Firmando el libro de visitas Signing the visitors’ book Unterschrift im Gästebuch Fotos:  Francisco Yanez y Paul Johnson © 2009

CHILE, rcl. Last Saturday, June 27^th, was the 62^nd anniversary of the foundation of the Schoenstatt Movement in Chile. For this occasion, a "pilgrimage through history" took place on "Father’s Route," traversing the Founder’s footsteps when he arrived in Chile seeking allies and founding the Movement in Valparaíso.

Families, women, men, and youths gathered at 9:30 A.M. in the room dedicated to Father Joseph Kentenich which is below the Cenacle of Foundation Shrine in Agua Santa, Viña del Mar.

The families from Agua Santa prepared this pilgrimage. It guided those present in the spirit of loyalty to Father Kentenich’s thinking. On various opportunities, he highlighted: "what you have inherited from your parents, you must conquer it in order to possess it,"and also:"Drink from your own history."

The room dedicated to the Founder contains the image of the Blessed Mother which Father Kentenich himself crowned in the Mena Hospital along with the first groups of the budding family.

Footprints at the time of foundation

After this part of the pilgrimage, they proceeded to the Shrine where there is a copy of the Founding Document signed by Father Kentenich and the first women who were present on that 27^th of June, 1947. On one side of the Shrine is the tomb of Fr. Adolfo Baldauf, a Pallottine Father and fellow-sodalist of Joseph Engling. While an acolyte, Fr. Baldauf promised Blessed Mary to take Sisters of Mary to wherever he went to work as a missionary priest. Divine Providence proposed that he go to Temuco, Chile. That is how the first Sisters disembarked in Valparaíso in 1936. Some stayed in Valparaíso and others continued on the journey to Temuco.

The pilgrimage then went on to the Porteño Hills, all the way to the parish of St. Louis Gonzaga in the Cerro Alegre of Valparíso. History indicates that the first group of young women began there and that later, they invited their friends and boyfriends. Years later, several of them formed the first family group which wrote the Founding Document of the Family Work in Chile.

A picture of the Blessed Mother brought by the Sisters in 1936, was enthroned in the parish church of San Luis. It was there for 30 years. At the present, it is located in the Centennial Hall of the Cenacle of Foundation Shrine. This picture was in several places: first in a meeting room, then in the Baptismal Chapel and on a side wall of the parish church. In 2002, an altarpiece similar to those of the Shrine was built and it was placed on a side wall of the central nave where the Blessed Sacrament reposed.

At the beginning of this year, the present pastor, Fr. Enrique Sagrado, decided that the tabernacle should be behind the main altar. This meant that it had to be lifted up, but the tabernacle is joined to the altarpiece; therefore, the image of the Blessed Mother is below the cross with the altarpiece and behind the main altar. Fr. Enrique is very open to all the pastoral support which Schoenstatt has to offer his parish: during July vacation time, the youth will conduct door to door missions throughout this Hill in order to reconquer hearts and families for Christ and his Mother.

The pastor celebrated the Eucharist with all of the pilgrims.

The place where Father Kentenich stayed when he visited Valparaíso

The trip continued to the Florida Hill, to the Hospital of the Mena Foundation where the first Sisters of Mary worked as nurses (Srs. M. Benita and M. Kornelia). Father Kentenich stayed there when he visited Valparaíso. In that Hospital, the Sisters worked for the growth of Schoenstatt. Father celebrated Holy Mass in the Chapel which at the present has been set aside for the Movement. The history is represented in that Chapel in the images, pews and replica of the altar. A book for visits in this place was opened on June 27^th. The youths along with their priests constantly visit this place where the Eucharist is celebrated.

To save Father’s life who was imprisoned in Dachau

The trek continued to Casa 28 of the Pasaje Quinta of Valparaíso. It is the house where Father Kentenich signed the Founding Document and declared the foundation of the Apostolic Schoenstatt Movement on a rainy June 27, 1947.

For a long time, this house which belongs to the Valparaíso Bishopric, was the headquarters for Catholic Action to which a group of women from the Diocesan Council belonged. In 1940, they felt the need for more spiritual formation. At that time, some women made contact with Fr. Clemente Keppler who provided some writings on the Schoenstatt Movement. He proposed to the group that they study the material and that they simultaneously cultivate love for the Blessed Virgin. In this way, their spiritual life grew and deepened and they decided to make their first consecration on June 23, 1942. This was done as an offering that the life of Father Kentenich who was imprisoned in Dachau would be spared. When Father met these women on June 27, 1947, he spoke to them more personally about the history of Schoenstatt. He was deeply moved when he verified that they sealed their consecration on the same day in which he was in greatest danger (he had been condemned to be transported with the invalids, that is, to death), and he was saved thanks to the intervention of a guard. It was at that moment that Father Kentenich saw the intervention of Divine Providence and he perceived the Schoenstatt depth of these women. This motivated him to make an unheard-of and unrepeated act outside of Germany.

Fundamental points

At this moment of foundation, Father stated three fundamental points of the Apostolic Schoenstatt Movement.

1. That the mission of Schoenstatt is a divine mission, and, therefore, one should not look at the weakness of its instruments…..rather to seek the highest, trusting in the Blessed Mother.
2. To remember that they were founders and, therefore, the group had to bear a great responsibility.
3. That they were the elite, therefore, the members of the Apostolic Movement had to always be above the common masses wherever they were.

Upon returning to the Cenacle of Foundation Shrine, a commitment to Father realized during this pilgrimage was deposited in the Treasury of Grace.

Translation: Carlos Cantú Schoenstatt Family Federation La Feria, Texas USA 070709