27 October 2023 · 2023-10-special newsletter
Many of us have been praying that our Mother Thrice Admirable shows us a positive way into the future since our First Shrine in Australia, blessed on 12th May, 1952, was demolished earlier in the year.
We want to thank everyone for the prayers and contributions to the Capital of Grace which have moved our MTA to clearly show us a way forward. We truly believe that our Blessed Mother has cared and been victorious.
From the previous reports you will know that when the Shrine needed to be emptied in February 2023, the Pallottine Community generously gave us all the removable items in the Shrine. The most precious was of course the ‘original’ picture of our Mother Thrice Admirable which found its home for some months in the Chapel of the Don Bosco Retreat Centre in Lysterfield, east of Melbourne. We are very grateful for the welcome the Salesian Community gave us, but unfortunately our dream to be able to offer our MTA some permanent place on that property was not in God’s plan.
In August as we celebrated our annual feast around 15th August, Our Lady offered us a new possibility – a home in the parish of St. Luke’s Wantirna, not too far from Lysterfield. After negotiations with the parish priest and parish council we were ready to bring the picture of grace of our MTA to its ‘new home’.
On 15th October about 50 members of our Schoenstatt Family in Melbourne gathered at Lysterfield to thank the Blessed Mother for her guidance and for the graces she has interceded for us while she was with the Salesian community. Then with 15 cars we made a car procession – all praying the rosary during the 20-minute drive to St. Luke’s parish. Here we placed the picture of grace beside the altar during Holy Mass which the parish priest, Fr. Joseph Amal celebrated for about 80 Schoenstatters. More had gathered at the parish itself.
We had a solemn Holy Mass celebrating Schoenstatt’s Foundation Day. The joy was tangible. Following the Mass, we processed to the Chapel of Divine Mercy at the back of St. Luke’s Church where our Mother Thrice Admirable found her new home – until she reveals to us further steps. Naturally the longing is for a replica of the Shrine.
In the newly found home we prayed together, inviting the Blessed Mother to take up her home in the Divine Mercy Chapel as she has done in her Schoenstatt Shrines throughout the world. During this celebration and before renewing our Covenant of Love, we listened to words of our father and founder which he wrote for the blessing of the Shrine in 1952. Among other things, Fr. Kentenich wrote:
“… The picture of our dear Mother of God should stand before the minds of people in a splendour of light and colour and be imprinted in their hearts in such a way as has happened only seldom in the past. She goes through the world as the great educator of the people. Everywhere she wants to bring forth Christ again, in order to save the endangered Christian personality, human society and the whole world.
Today she solemnly chooses this Shrine to be her favourite place, the place where she offers graces and is especially active. From here she will distribute her treasures and take in hand the education of the people and their leaders. She does this under the title of Mother Thrice Admirable and Queen of Schoenstatt. … Everywhere she gives to those who honour her the grace of transformation, of a home and of fruitfulness in rich measure…
Everywhere people find their way to her Shrines. However, they do not come with empty hands; they bring rich gifts. They do not grow tired of offering to God’s Mother the sacrifices of their serious efforts in self-education which co-operation with grace demands of them in everyday life….
From today onward, the Mother of God also expects such earnest co-operation with grace from us. She calls upon us in a similar way as she did in 1914 at the Shrine in Schoenstatt: Do not worry about the fulfilment of your wishes. Ego diligentes me diligo… Prove first by your deeds that you love me …, then I will prove that I love you. …”
(J. Kentenich 11.5.1952)
We also prayed in our celebration:
“Dear Mother Thrice Admirable, Queen and Victress of Schoenstatt, … Through your picture of grace, we invite you to be present with us in this Chapel. Come and dwell with us as you have done in the Shrine in Kew since the 11th May 1952. It is as though, by finding a new home for your picture of grace in this Divine Mercy Chapel… you are reminding us that you wish to lead us to your Divine Son and to the Heavenly Father so that we may always be at home in their hearts and experience their merciful love. We thank you from our hearts. We give thanks for the openness and generosity of the Parish of St. Luke’s who have welcomed us here. May all parishioners experience the graces of a home, of transformation and apostolic fruitfulness which you intercede for us in your Schoenstatt Shrines…”
In the parish of St. Luke’s our Schoenstatt members will be able to visit and bring their contributions to the Capital of Grace whenever the Church is open. (See Website http://www.stlukeswantirna.net) This includes daily Mass, times of adoration and reciting the rosary as well as several hours when the Church is open during school hours. An explanation of the Capital of Grace has been placed at the foot of the picture of grace together with slips indicating what is being offered to our Schoenstatt Mother and Queen as well as what is being asked for. We are hoping that parishioners will experience the intercession of our MTA in this little Chapel in a similar way that is possible in all Schoenstatt Shrines. Our Melbourne Schoenstatt Family is fully aware of the importance of their contributions so that Our Lady can be fruitful.
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