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Schoenstatt, in the town of Vallendar near Koblenz, Germany, is
the origin and world center of the International Schoenstatt Movement. Every day pilgrims from all over the world travel to
the 'Original Shrine,' the center of Schoenstatt, both as a Marian place of pilgrimage and as international Ecclesial Movement
with 20 independent communities.
In Schoenstatt, people are looking for direction,
a home and renewed strengths and spirits to live their faith in everyday life and and as a means of bringing the love of Christ
to the world. Schoenstatt originates in the Covenant of Love with Mary, the Mother of Jesus and all people, that Father Joseph
Kentenich (1885 - 1968) for the first time sealed on October 18, 1914. Father Kentenich spent several years in the concentration
camp in Dachau. His love for the church proved to be steadfast in times of rejection and anxiety. He died on September 15,
1968, in the Adoration Church on Mount Schoenstatt where he is entombed.
All over the world, more than 160 Schoenstatt Centers have been erected;
the focal point of all of them is an exact replica of the Original Shrine in Schoenstatt. Through the Schoenstatt Pilgrim
Rosary Campaign, several million people in over 80 countries on all continents are in contact with the stream of life and
grace from Schoenstatt.
Schoenstatt is
a movement of renewal within the Catholic Church which was founded in 1914 by Fr Joseph Kentenich. It is a movement of life
which means it does not merely proclaim great ideas, rather it stresses the practical applications of these ideas to our everyday
lives.
Schoenstatt is:
- A Place
- A Movement
- A Message
- A Way of Life
Schoenstatt - A Place
Schoenstatt means “beautiful place” and it is here that
people from all walks of life find moments of peace and tranquility on their journey through life. They are refreshed and
renewed and find the possibility to deepen their commitment to Christ. It is a place of grace and pilgrimage where love for
Christ and his Mother, Mary, are deeply rooted.
In Australia, Schoenstatt has centres at Mount Schoenstatt in Mulgoa,
NSW and at the Schoenstatt Shrine in Armadale, WA.
The Original Schoenstatt is on the Rhine River near, Coblence in Germany.
Schoenstatt - A Movement
Schoenstatt is a Marian Apostolic movement of renewal for comprising
Secular Institutes for priests and lay people from all walks of life. It is an active movement which supports it members as
they try to actively live their Catholic faith on a daily basis. Through self-education, social interaction and in conscious
dependence on Mary, Our Mother and Educator, they seek to meet and respond to God in their every day lives.
Schoenstatt - A Message
Schoenstatt offers a threefold message:
- The message of a living, practical faith in Divine
Providence which teaches us that God in his wisdom and love provides the very best for us and desires our eternal salvation.
- The message of the Covenant of Love which
has become the core of Schoenstatt spirituality. It is a rediscovery of the history of salvation.
- The message of a universal apostolate. Each one of us is called to
become an apostle for Christ and his mission. The spirituality helps us to become conscious of this mission and fruitful in
our lay apostolate.
Schoenstatt - A Way of Life
Belonging to Schoenstatt is not just about saying prayers, doing certain
activities or attending meetings. It is a way of life - it affects one’s whole life and one’s relationships with
others.
Through the Covenant of Love with Mary, the members not only discover
more and more the deeper meaning of their baptismal covenant but also are enabled to live this covenant and try to live as
God’s instruments in today’s world. the modern world.
“Nothing without you, Nothing without us” is a simple
expression of this covenant. This was the beginning and is the lasting foundation of today’s world-wide Schoenstatt
movement.
Schoenstatt Movement
Within the Schoenstatt Movement internationally, there is the Apostolic
League, the Apostolic Union and the Secular Institutes:
The Apostolic League
The Schoenstatt Family today is made up of over 25 different branches
and communities all over the world. As an apostolic Movement, it belongs to one of the major renewal movements of spiritual
life within the Catholic Church, including communities for laity and priests, for married and single people, for youth and
families - each organised according to the degree of commitment to apostolate and community life.
There are the open groups of the League, which try to encourage people
in their religious commitments and activities in the social and professional sphere. The members of the League work in parishes
and organise themselves on a Diocesan level.
The Apostolic Union
There is also the Union Federation, whose members work together in
groups: for instance the Union Federation of Women, families, men and priests. (These groupings are not yet in Australia).
The various groups with the Union have the task to form Christian communities capable of leadership within the Schoenstatt
work itself and in the Church in order to help the Church fulfill its mission in the world.
Secular Institutes
The Institutes, which include a consecrated way of life and have a
special responsibility for the whole of Schoenstatt. Most of these have already been established as Secular Institutes by
the Church.
Every branch and group is orientated on the Christian ideal of the
family, modeled on the Trinity and exemplified in the Holy Family of Nazareth. Thousands of people in over 40 countries belong
in one way or another to these groups. In the majority of these countries Schoenstatt has built pastoral and retreat centres
in the service of the local Church, attended by over two million pilgrims.
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