16 September 2024 · 2024-09 newsletter
This year on October 20th, when we celebrate our Foundation Day, we will also celebrate the golden jubilee of the crowning of our MTA in the Entrance Hall of the Joseph Kentenich House. Most of our readers will not have been present on that day 50 years ago but we have some who were and we hope that they may be able to be present to help us give thanks for these 50 years during which our Mother, Queen and Victress has shown her love and care to all who come to our Movement Centre in Mulgoa.
Fifty years ago the movement work in Australia was only 8 years old so it is a credit to the enthusiastic work of our Schoenstatt Fathers and Sisters of Mary to support Our Lady’s mission here in Australia that so many groups were actively involved in the crowning.
The day for the crowning was chosen to coincide with the diamond jubilee of Schoenstatt’s foundation (1914 – 1974) and the crowning of our MTA in the Adoration Church in Schoenstatt, Germany, as Queen and VICTRESS of Schoenstatt.
Extracts from the report of our festive celebrations here in Australia 50 years ago read:
“The international crowning in Schoenstatt on the occasion of the Diamond Jubilee was the main incentive (for the crowning). Training days and group discussions centred around the crowning; the talks, discussions or slide lectures of the monthly covenant days in 1974 covered the content of the crowning – its theological and historical background as well as its implications. The 9 weekly novena united us with the rest of the International Movement.
It was clear right from the start that we would not join the international crowning just in a spiritual way, but that we, as Schoenstatt Family in Australia, would have our own crown. Since the picture in the Shrine had been crowned many years ago by the Sisters’ Family, we decided at the end of 1973 that we would crown the picture of our Mother and Queen in the entrance hall of the new Movement Centre.
An intense driving began. In order that the crown would be really our own, each branch worked out the symbol to represent them on the crown. With these symbols in mind, the crown was designed:
The basic shape of the crown was chosen to represent the Adoration Church in Schoenstatt, the place of the international crowning.
In the two boomerangs and the Australian gemstone the national character finds expression.
The Schoenstatt Diocesan Priests find their ideal in the symbol of the Holy Spirit (silver cross-like shape).
The Families – as foundation and crown of the movement – chose the base of the crown as their symbol with two interlocked hearts engraved.
The Monstrance – formed by the two boomerangs and the gemstone in the centre of the crown – is the symbol for the Schoenstatt Mothers.
Two small diamonds on the base of the crown are the symbol for the Adoration Group.
The Women’s League find themselves in the cross on the crown, seeing its centre as a symbol for the Tabernacle.
The gemstone in the centre was chosen by the Young men’s and Boys’ branch in reference to the Joseph Engling Memorial.
The Lilies on the base of the crown represent the Girls’ branch.
Apart from the symbols on the crown, each branch wanted to bring a CROWNING GIFT to their Queen, symbolising the ideal in the striving of the individual branch.
These crowning gifts were very much in the foreground during the time of preparation for the crowning since they were an expression of what was and is alive in the branches and groups….
An extract from Fr. Boes’s homily on the occasion:
“… we say to Our Lady, ‘Accept the Crown”. This crown is foremost an expression of our childlike self-surrender.
It is only in this spirit of childlike self-surrender that we may dare to offer the crown without having to fear that we will not be able to live up to our promises… one in heart with our father and through him we offer the crown…
‘Go into the world and set it on fire’ – ‘Let the burning fires of our hearts carry the message that the love of Christ will conquer this world, the love of Christ will be victorious and not the hatred of any other conviction…”
Fr. Boes then pointed out strongly that, in order to make this come true, the crowning plays an important part because otherwise we would be too weak on our part. At the same time, however, crowning cannot become effective without our cooperation (contributions to the Capital of Grace).
The Crowning Prayer that was prayed by all:
“Accept this crown and all it includes – our gratitude, our total surrender, our invincible trust – our very selves. Accept this crown from the hands of our father and founder. It is the crown that honours you and makes you known as the Mother Thrice Admirable, Queen and Victress of Schoenstatt.”
WITH ONLY A MONTH TILL THIS IMPORTANT JUBILEE EACH ONE PERSONALLY OR AS GROUPS MAY WISH TO CONSIDER HOW THEY WOULD LIKE TO PREPARE FOR THIS OCCASION AS WE RENEW THE CROWNING AT OUR FOUNDATION DAY CELEBRATIONS AT MULGOA ON 20TH OCTOBER.
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