30 April 2022 · 2022-04 newsletter
19 March
On Saturday the 19th March, the feast day of St Joseph and Fr Kentenich, Karen Green, Fiona O’Neill, Ann Panitz, Carmel Gauci and Czarina Ira were called to enter into a Covenant of Love with our Blessed Mother as co-operators of our Mothers’ League and Schoenstatt family.
After being together for over 2 years and only meeting over Zoom, with a few delays our special day arrived and it was just perfect.
The ceremony ran a little later than scheduled and pleasingly so, as we got to sit outside in the beautiful fresh air a little longer singing hymns of praise. Our Group was blessed to have the support of members of the Women’s and Mothers’ Leagues. Sr Elizabeth brought out a little booklet of “Mosaic Stones” and explained that it was put together with many testimonies of how Fr Kentenich had touched peoples’ lives with his kind gestures, teachings, prayers and presence.
When Fr Terry Bell arrived, some of us managed to receive the sacrament of penance and felt a little more ready for our celebration and covenant of love.
It was a beautiful ceremony, especially the blessing of medals and candles, symbols to remind us of our consecration to our Blessed Mother.
We were all granted the opportunity to visit the Father Room where we could choose a card with words that spoke to us in our newly consecrated role as members of the Schoenstatt family. This is the start of a new journey in our spiritual growth.
After the ceremony, Sr Elizabeth presented each of us with a yellow rose, which when I left I placed into Fr Kentenich’s hands. Today I had learnt that Fr Kentenich would accept gifts and then pass them on, so it only felt fitting that I did the same.
Karen
20 March
On the following day five mothers from the Bossley Park Group also entered into the Covenant of Love. They had prepared for this day over many months last year but because of COVID were only able to come together in the Shrine for the celebration on this Sunday. It was the longing of the group to be able to seal their Covenant of Love in the Shrine and our MTA cared for a beautiful day.
Another twelve mothers from the group joined them and renewed their Covenant as Co-operators of the Mothers’ Branch. It was happy day for all.
After attending the 11am Mass the Covenant of Love celebration took place in the Shrine around 12.15pm. As representative of the Schoenstatt Family Fr. Paul Barszczewski OP accepted the consecrations. Other members of the Mothers’ and Women’s Branches were present to share the joy. The group joined the monthly renewal of the Covenant via Zoom in the Joseph Kentenich House and then had a lively afternoon tea together to celebrate their special day. One of the group had prepared a beautiful cake to mark the day.
We entrust all these mothers and their intentions to the Blessed Mother and Fr. Kentenich as they become officially part of our Schoenstatt Family.
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