19 July 2022 · 2022-07 newsletter
This Congress, held in Schoenstatt Germany, was an important event for our international Schoenstatt Family. Although no one from Australia was able to participate directly, we were involved in the preparation through our input and will be involved now in the outcome through our study and implementation of the Letter written to the Schoenstatt Family proclaiming the outcome of the Congress: “You are our Letter” (2 Cor 3:2-3), which you can find at the following link. It covers the following main points: Father Kentenich and his cause, Schoenstatt’s charism, and Synodality within Schoenstatt and the Church.
https://schoenstatt.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/20220612_EN_A_fraternal_letter_to_the_international_Schoenstatt_Family.pdf
With 145 delegates from 30 countries the Congress spent four days listening to one another, to the voices of the times, and to the inspirations of the Spirit using Fr. Kentenich’s method of “observe, compare, reduce to principles and apply”.
In his homily at the opening Mass on Day 1, Father Juan Pablo Catoggio, the president of the General Presidium, spoke about the need for Pentecost, not only in the Church but also in Schoenstatt.
“We need:
The Spirit of holiness who transforms and renews us
The Spirit of love who unites and holds us together in freedom and solidarity
The Spirit of mission that sends us out and makes us fruitful for the world.”
The afternoon was spent introducing the participants and their countries and sharing expectations of the Congress. Although the representation of youth was small in numbers, they made a huge impact on the whole Congress by their spirit and participation. “Many participants stated how delighted they were to see the maturity and zeal of the youth for their Schoenstatt family.”
On Day 2 of the Congress the theme was the state of the cause of Father Kentenich.
Kayla Doll, from the youth of the USA, shared her impressions from the talks about Father Kentenich. “Schoenstatt and each individual, in order to live the mission, needs to ask the question: who is father (Kentenich) for me?” This question is important because he is inseparable from Schoenstatt because he is one of the three contact points in the covenant of love. If we don’t stand by him, we will fail. He and the Blessed Mother have the answers to the needs of our times; it’s just a matter of “conjugating” them into the present tense, into the present time. She was also struck by the greatness of our mission in Schoenstatt. “It’s exciting and terrifying and if we try to do it alone, we will fail… But, Mother takes perfect care and is victorious.”
Workshops on Day 2 included:
- Synodality in Schoenstatt
- Schoenstatt’s presence and effectiveness in society
- Schoenstatt’s Pedagogical influence in society
- Kentenich Intensive Course
- Synodality in the Movement
This day ended in the Adoration Church with a time of community prayer and adoration. There was a beautiful ceremony of passing the torch of Schoenstatt to the next generation. The older generation passed on literal torches to the youth, but these torches are symbolic of the mission of Schoenstatt. Then the youth sang from the zeal in their hearts and declared, “Here I am.”
Day 3 of the Congress focussed on Schoenstatt’s Mission within the Church and for the Church.
The workshops in the afternoon explored areas in society where Schoenstatt can be lived, such as Economics; Education / Education / Knowledge / Formation / Pedagogy; Spirituality; Ecology / Future of Creation.
At the end of this day, one of the youth, Silvia Granja, from the youth of Ecuador, “was touched that the youth and older generations shared many similar perspectives on the topics discussed today. Throughout the day, she had many older participants coming up to her to offer support. They were conscious of the struggles of the youth and were putting their trust into the youth being able to make changes for the better. Silvia also mentioned that she “loves that the spirit of the youth at the congress is very strong and she hopes that the youth can exchange more with the older members of the family of Schoenstatt and communicate with each other in ways that leave good impressions. She hopes that the congress will set goals for a clear path for the future. ‘I am filled with hope.’”
Day 4 was the opportunity to focus on Schoenstatt’s Charism and Calling.
It was the youth who first presented. They emphasized the need for representation in decision-making institutions, support from the whole family, and exposure and collaboration with the other branches of the family. They also pledged their strength and zeal to the family and the mission.
Their presentation was followed by an input by Father Awi Mello who began his talk with this question: How can we help the world today as church, and what can we learn from today’s church and world? He stressed the importance of Schoenstatt being part of the Church, helping the world as Church. … “Without the Church, we do not exist, and only in the Church do we have the ‘right to exist.’” The words on Father Kentenich’s tomb sum up his stance on this point: Dilexit Ecclesiam.
Working as Church, we are called to live our charism as Church in the world. We are called to be living transparencies of God, drawing close to others through humble listening and open dialogue. The laity is called to be active in all areas of society and to transform their daily work through their everyday sanctity; our quiet, daily piety is a powerful tool for evangelization. Finally, he reintroduced the point of Synodality which had been very important in the discussions during the week. Schoenstatt is called to be synodal within itself but also with the Church, being active in the life of the Church. Rooted in the gospel and tradition, Schoenstatt looks towards the future.
The Pentecost Congress closed with Sunday Mass, the celebration of the great feast of the Holy Trinity. Father Heinrich Walter presided, and he gave a homily reflecting on our shared experiences and mission from the Congress. These he expressed using three symbols.
Be Sealed with the Holy Spirit
First, we entered our Pentecost Cenacle out of the swirling troubles of the world, the Church, and our own Schoenstatt family. We found refuge with our founder in the Founder Chapel and drew strength from the Holy Spirit who comes to us anew in this place, as symbolized by the Pentecost window.
Go, and Proclaim the Good News
Second, we are called to Synodality: “dialogue at all levels,” and the “co-creation of the new epoch.” This call is from the Holy Father, Pope Francis, but it also was a part of Father Kentenich’s plan for Schoenstatt from the very beginning. Father Kentenich was rooted in the “new shore,” and we are called to step out of the arc of certainty and follow him toward the future of the Family and the Church. This is the second symbol.
Be the Light of the World and the Salt of the Earth
Finally, the torch of the mission was passed on from the oldest generation to the newest. This symbolic gesture truly was an entrustment: they entrusted the future of Schoenstatt to the youth, and the youth accepted the responsibility and pledged themselves for the mission.
This was an outward sign of the true inter-generational cooperation within the Schoenstatt family that has been characteristic of the proceedings of the Congress, as well as for the continuation of this cooperation into the future. It is also a symbol of the mission of Schoenstatt, to carry the light of Christ into the world as Church today.
Let us pray that this Congress will bear fruit in the everyday lives of our Schoenstatt Family in Australia. For more information and witnesses go to www.schoenstatt.com
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