18 September 2021 · 2021-09 newsletter
We are ready and we dare to start anew, with you today, here and now. “Here in the Shrine we are united …” With you, life is so much more, Mary.
This was the theme for the international gathering of the Schoenstatt Single Women’s Branch on the 13th and 14th August, 2021.
It had been hoped that members of the international Women’s Branch would be able to come together for a Congress in 2021 as we had not been able to celebrate together (the Jubilee of 100 years of Women in Schoenstatt) last year. However, after much discussion and the continued pandemic of COVID-19 around the world, it was agreed that this would not be possible either. Instead a gathering was organised to take place this year via Zoom and the webcam from the Original Shrine.
We were invited to two events. The first was an evening of prayer and singing in the Founder Chapel around our Father and Founder. The second was a Mass of thanksgiving in the Original Shrine. During this Mass we would renew our crowning in our Home Shrines.
Because in these extraordinary times, which demand heroism and daily faithfulness from us, we can only do this if we are rooted in our covenant of love. Our witness and our sense of mission is needed now more than ever. We need the graces from the Original Shrine to radiate through our Home Shrines and through us into the world in which we live and work.
As a sign of our commitment and readiness to serve our Schoenstatt mission from our home Shrines, we came together (virtually), in Schoenstatt, as a united Single Women’s Branch around the world to renew the jubilee crowning that took place last August and the commitment that this symbolises. We also wanted to give thanks for all the blessings and graces we have received from our Blessed Mother through our Home Shrines since the celebrations last year.
So on Friday evening 13th August, (German time), our Women’s Group, along with Sr. M. Elizabeth, joined the other ladies (via Zoom), in the Founder Chapel. Each country participating was given fifteen minutes to use as they wished. They could use this time to sing their own hymns, for praying or as quiet time. The countries taking part were Austria, Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Germany, Paraguay, South Africa and USA (Texas).
This prayer time in the Founder Chapel began at 9pm (German time), but thankfully, as we had been given the last time slot (thanks to Sr. Marion, who was organising the event), our time was 8am Saturday morning (Sydney time). Our prayer was based on the prayers which had been used in our Australian Jubilee celebrations last December when members of our Australian women’s groups came together for a day of celebration. In this prayer we especially gave thanks for the pioneers of our Women’s League who have actively contributed to the building up of Schoenstatt in Australia.
It was wonderful to be with women from other countries and to share in their prayer times, their singing and their delight at being in the Founder Chapel. It was a joy-filled and enriching experience, while at the same time there was a strong sense of not only being united with each other, but also with our father and founder.
On the Saturday evening (German time), the Thanksgiving Mass was held in the Original Shrine. During this Mass, the crowning in our Home Shrines was renewed and further signatures were placed in the tabernacle along with those that had been placed there last year.
The signatures of Therese Fuller and Anne Rewhorn which were not included last year, were now placed in the tabernacle during this Mass.
All these signatures in the tabernacle in the Original Shrine, are a symbol of our crowning in our Home Shrines and a sign that we are ready and willing to dare anew to be living Tabernacles after the example of our Blessed Mother. In renewing our crowning we prayed from the Crowning Prayer:
“Show us, Queen, where our commitment to you is needed today. We are ready and we dare to start anew, with you today, here and now. “Here in the Shrine we are united …” With you, life is so much more, Mary. We offer you our home shrine as a throne room. From there, work through us and with us. Accept this crown as a sign of gratitude and as a petition. Take possession of our Home Shrines, of our hearts. Be Queen of the women around the world, especially now in these challenging times. Use us as your instrument so that we can be "Marian hotspots" sending out waves of grace, of faith into the world: Waves of being at home, of inner transformation and of mission consciousness.”
Mary, let us be like you
I would also like to share with you some reflections from fellow members of our Women’s group who took part in these celebrations:
Therese:
“The only good to come from lockdown and zoom meetings is the ability to join a meeting with a group of people who share the same ideals and who live across the world.
On Friday evening I was able to join in prayer and solidarity with Schoenstatt women from across the globe for the Jubilee Re-Crowning celebrations. I would never have been able to do this if Zoom had not become part of being in lockdown.
To “be in” the Founder Chapel, and in my case, to see my name, along with that of Anne Rewhorn who was a member of our Group and who sadly died on 12 May this year, placed with the names of many other women on the altar, was a wonderful experience.
It is great to realise that although we are separated by distance, we are united in the Covenant and part of a group of women who have faith in these hard times and continue to be strong in their belief and support of each other.”
Sheila
Attending my first Jubilee celebration prayers (virtually) in the Founder chapel on 14th August, was a surreal experience. To date, I have only seen pictures of the founder chapel in Germany, so viewing the chapel via ‘live’ video, and participating in my first prayer readings was truly amazing. The Jubilee prayers were attended by women from all over the world, women of all ages, and cultural backgrounds, and women who were as spiritually connected to Schoenstatt as I was. Being part of this diverse group of women exemplified my spiritual formation with Schoenstatt while moving me one step closer to Mother Mary.”
Agnes
It was just before 8 o’clock on a Saturday morning on the 14th of August 2021 when I ‘zoomed in’ for the Prayer Gathering to celebrate the Women’s Jubilee at the Founder Chapel in Schoenstatt in Germany. Seeing that we were gathered in the Founder Chapel, I quickly wound back to another time about 7 years ago on the 15.10.14 when our Australian pilgrimage group had gathered in the Founder Chapel for a very special ceremony. On that night, I remember touching Father’s tomb. It was a joyful moment in my life! Obviously, we couldn’t do the same on this Saturday morning because of the pandemic. I could only see and hear the ongoing activity in the chapel ‘via technology’. I could not touch the tomb physically so I reflected deeply and spiritually to reach out to Father’s tomb so that the ‘spirit of loyalty to him, may keep burning like a fire in our hearts.’ It was a beautiful experience, though ‘distances can keep us apart, we unite with Mary, in the spirit of Schoenstatt.’
I can only re-iterate what we prayed as Schoenstatt women from around the world, that united in our Covenant of Love, with Our Blessed Mother, with our Father and Founder, and with each other, we may have the strength, faith and trust to take seriously what we prayed in our Crowning prayer: Mary, let us be like you”
Shirley Hall
(On behalf of our Single Women’s Group, NSW)
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