17 January 2023 · 2023-01 newsletter
This past year in NSW we have continued to celebrate the Covenant Sundays via zoom and sometimes, happily, with members of our Schoenstatt Family from Perth, Melbourne and Toowoomba. However, we did come together around the Shrine to celebrate Schoenstatt’s Foundation Day (18th October). This inspired us to try and renew the practice of coming together around the Shrine to celebrate Covenant Sundays.
We decided that the December / Advent Covenant Sunday would be a good time for us to begin coming together again. We wanted not only to celebrate this Covenant Sunday around the Shrine but also to celebrate Advent and our journey towards Christmas as a Schoenstatt family.
To celebrate this Covenant Sunday, all were invited to have lunch together after the 11am Mass. Although there were only about 15 people, there was as usual, lots of food and time for everyone to catch up and enjoy being together again in person.
The Covenant presentation was given by Shirley Hall who had also prepared the Covenant video for December. The topic was Father Kentenich as an authentic witness to holiness. Shirley looked at various aspects of Father Kentenich’s life and how we can learn from him in our striving for sanctity through our Schoenstatt spirituality. As she said, who could be a better model for us of living everyday sanctity, than Father Kentenich, the father and founder of Schoenstatt.
After the presentation, we normally break into groups for a discussion. However, as there were not too many of us, we stayed in the one group and discussed what Father Kentenich means for us and how we would describe him. Some of the Sisters gave personal testimonies of their experiences with Father Kentenich. This was much appreciated by everyone as the Sisters shared in particular, some personal examples of how they experienced Father Kentenich’s sense of humour
Afterwards we went to the shrine for our Advent / Covenant devotion. It was a real blessing to be able to renew our Covenant together in the Shrine along with others who were visiting the Shrine. As usual, everyone was afterwards invited back to the Family Hall for afternoon tea. It was a wonderful way to end our year by coming together to celebrate around the Shrine.
We are hoping that during 2023, more people will join us each month in renewing their Covenant of Love in person at the Shrine. It had been the wish of our father and founder that we not only renew our Covenant of Love on the 18th of each month (or the 3rd Sunday of each month as we do), but also that we do this together with Our Blessed Mother in the Shrine, and together as one Schoenstatt Family.
Of course, for those who are unable to be at the Shrine in person for the renewal of the Covenant, there will still be the opportunity to attend via zoom. However we hope that if possible, you will join us whenever you can on the Covenant Sundays in 2023.
Thank you …
We thank all those who have contributed to the Videos for our Zoom meetings throughout the past year. We invite anyone who would like to present during 2023 to contact: movtoffice@schoenstatt.org.au
The Coordinating Team
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