18 November 2024 · 2024-11 newsletter
Fifty years ago a very young Schoenstatt Family in Australia participated in their own way in the first international event – the Crowning of our MTA in the Adoration Church on Mount Schoenstatt, Germany – on 20th October 1974 as Mother Thrice Admirable, Queen and VICTRESS of Schoenstatt.
It was the diamond jubilee of Schoenstatt’s foundation and only six years since our father and founder, Fr. Joseph Kentenich, had been called home. The Schoenstatt Movement in Australia had only begun to grow in 1966 following our father’s return from exile. The Movement Centre close to the Shrine in Mulgoa, NSW, Australia which was blessed in May 1968, had just been completed. In this context, and joining in the international celebrations, the Movement in Australia decided to crown the MTA in the Entrance Hall of the newly completed Movement Centre.
Although the Schoenstatt Movement was only 8 years old there were 10 different branches (Schoenstatt Fathers, Diocesan Priests, Schoenstatt Sisters, Families, Mothers, Single Women, Adoration Circle, Girls, Senior Boys, and Boys) represented on that significant day, 20th October 1974. Each branch had joined in the international novena which involved prayers at nine different Shrines around the world. In addition, each branch had worked on a symbol which was represented in the crown and the gift they wished to bring to our Mother, Queen and Victress.
Over the past fifty years, the numbers in the Schoenstatt Movement in Australia have fluctuated and our Movement is small but pilgrims to the Shrine have steadily increased. At this point in our growth, it was important for us to recall the activities of Our Lady as the Victress over the years and to celebrate the golden jubilee of this crowning, together with the 110th anniversary of Schoenstatt’s Foundation.
A significant part of Our Lady’s “victories” during these years is the number of pilgrims she has called to visit her at the National Shrine in Mulgoa.
Daily there are many visitors and on weekends, hundreds of visitors many travelling long distances even coming from interstate. It was vital for our Schoenstatt Family that we try and include these many people, who experience Our Lady’s ‘presence’ in the Shrine and her intercession in their many needs, in our celebrations. We wanted to let them know about the Covenant of Love and how our Blessed Mother wants to be their mother and educator who leads them to her Son and the heavenly Father.
For this reason, there was a family festival on October 20th to celebrate Schoenstatt’s Foundation Day and Golden Crowning Jubilee. The pre-programme involved information about the founding of Schoenstatt, testimonies about what the Covenant of Love means to various members of the Schoenstatt Movement, and explanations about the importance of the Capital of Grace. This was offered by texts and some videos. While this took place there was the opportunity for Confession and the priests were not idle. The participants were encouraged to write their offerings to the Capital of Grace together with their petitions and place them in the jar which had a central place below our MTA, together with the Crown which we would offer anew during the afternoon’s programme.
The festive Mass began with a procession of flags representing 24 countries and the joyful entrance hymn from the Jubilee Year 2014: “My Spirit rejoiced when they told me, let’s go to the house of the Lord”. Two priests concelebrated, both of whom belong to different Orders (Dominicans and Somascans), but who have entered into Schoenstatt’s Covenant of Love. During the homily, Fr. Pawel Barszcsewski OP led more than 400 pilgrims and Schoenstatt members into an understanding of the gift of the Covenant of Love and the importance of the Schoenstatt Shrine. He encouraged the listeners not to be afraid to offer themselves to the Blessed Mother as she is the one who can lead them quickly and surely to Jesus and the heavenly Father. He pointed to the crowning which would be renewed in the afternoon and entrusted all of us to the care of our Mother, Queen and Victress.
Following Holy Mass we went in procession, led by the Unity Processional Cross, the Jar with the Capital of Grace, the Covenant Book and the Crown, to the Shrine where we renewed the Covenant of Love and a new Pilgrim Mother Shrine and coordinator was sent out. The lunch break saw a hive of activities for the families. Apart from various food possibilities, the children thoroughly enjoyed a jumping castle, face-painting, popcorn and the possibility to make a plant while the adults could learn more about Schoenstatt at the information stall, browse through the Pilgrims’ Centre with its piety goods stall or buy plants to help raise money for our mission in the Philippines.
The climax of the day was the afternoon re-coronation of the Mother Thrice Admirable, Queen and Victress of Schoenstatt in the Entrance Hall of the Joseph Kentenich House. This was exactly 50 years after it originally took place in conjunction with the Crowning of the Victress in the Adoration Church on Mount Schoenstatt. This celebration began with devotions and benediction in the Shrine, followed by a procession led by representatives from the Mothers’ Branch carrying the Schoenstatt and Australian flags and a member of the Family Branch who had been present at the original crowning 50 years ago carrying the crown.
The 2014 Jubilee Hymn “Your Covenant our Mission” resounded in the grounds of Mount Schoenstatt until the procession reached the Father Statue where we prayed and pledged anew our loyalty to our father and founder, Fr. Joseph Kentenich. The procession continued to the Entrance of the Joseph Kentenich House singing with full voice, “As I kneel before you..” A beautifully decorated Throne under the MTA picture awaited the arrival of around 150 Schoenstatt members and pilgrims in the Entrance Hall of the Movement Centre.
After praise and thanks were offered to our Blessed Mother, Fr. Pawel Barszcsewski OP solemnly re-crowned our MTA and all prayed together the crowning prayer.
In grateful remembrance of the event 50 years ago, representatives of the various branches, shared about the gift they had offered to the Blessed Mother back in 1974 and prayed a prayer which was unique for each branch at that time.
It was such a delight that around ten Schoenstatt members who had been present in 1974 were able to be once again at the celebration and joyfully reminisced about the event 50 years ago.
One member of the Women’s League who had been present at the crowning in Australia in 1974 was this year present in original Schoenstatt for the celebration in the Adoration Church. We were happy to be represented in original Schoenstatt as we celebrated this milestone.
The day’s celebrations would not have been possible without the great team of volunteers who helped with organising, setting up and running the day’s activities as well as the many benefactors who supported this event financially.
We trust that our Mother Thrice Admirable will truly prove herself victorious in all the present-day concerns and worries in the society and Church, but in particular in questions regarding the way we wish to bring Schoenstatt to our local Church and the many visitors to our Shrine.
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