Directly after -
Echoes from the Covenant of Love with Father

Ingrid Epping, Women's League, Paderborn Diocese

"This is the first time that I participate in the October Week. At the beginning, I pondered over what this Covenant of Love with the Father means to me. But now it means: Family, do you go with? Very personally I answered this question and consciously said: Yes, I go with you."

"This celebration means so much to me. I even received the "right" picture of Fr. Kentenich - one where he is with a child with his hat on. That fits to me: Capital of Grace, Dachau Shrine. The bouquet of roses on Fr. Kentenich's sarcophagus reminded me of the symbol from our Community as Women's League - Roses in Barbed Wire. That was so beautiful and made a deep impression on me even when our time in the Founder Chapel was so short."

"I must honestly say that I am quite critical about this act tonight. Everything is already finished - prepared ahead of time. I would have liked a chance to work on the formulation. I don't want everything to be pre-arranged by a committee, I don't want Schoenstatt to be "ready" by 2014, because I want that I and my children can contribute something new to Schoenstatt, can build Schoenstatt. We had other life streams in our diocese so the Father Symbol did not play a role so I could not find a way to relate to this celebration tonight."

"This celebration was for me a deep experience of an international moment - similar to Bellavista. What a sense of humor God has that Fr. Marmann led the celebration in Chile and a Chilean led the celebration in Schoenstatt, Germany. Schoenstatt is one great big family where we unite in the Holy Spirit and in our Founder. I was so happy with how often Fr. Kentenich was referred to as - Prophet. He has a prophetic mission for the coming millennium. We want to give on this mission and his person out of gratitude. Yes, it really was very, very beautiful."

">"What an honor to be chosen to be the speakers for the celebration." "We as families of this diocese invested much striving in this symbol in the last three years. What a gift to be chosen to represent the Trier Schoenstatt family in this celebration. It was as if Fr. Kentenich has accepted our efforts." "We have come closer to Fr. Kentenich through this time of striving. What a gift that we can experience this together as Schoenstatt Family during the October Week. I hope everyone felt as personally drawn into this event as we did."

"We were chosen to carry the Jubilee banner - I told myself that I would never carry a banner." We had the wish to be in the Founder Chapel during the celebration and knew it would be impossible. Lately, we had experienced with some of the families what a gift it is to be so deeply united with our Father and Founder. And now this wish was fulfilled. I see that as a gift from Fr. Kentenich." "And then I did not mind carrying the flag. It was an honor for me to hold this flag in the Founder Chapel."

"I am totally excited. I can hardly express what such a joy like this means to me. It is always a joy for me to be with Fr. Kentenich. I was in Chile and now I am here and it is the same. Fr. Kentenich is a really great guy."