13 August 2021 · 2021-08 newsletter
Twenty four mothers gathered online on the 24 July for a much anticipated mothers’ branch meeting. Whilst we were looking forward to a face-to-face meeting we were blessed that Sr Elizabeth arranged for the meeting to be held via Zoom.
Anne Walsh, leader of the mothers’ branch, led us in the opening prayer as we placed ourselves spiritually in the Shrine and asked the Blessed Mother to intercede for us the Holy Spirit and the needs of the many people experiencing loneliness and those suffering from the consequences of the Covid lockdown.
For those new to Schoenstatt Sr Elizabeth presented a brief overview of the foundation of Schoenstatt, its structure as a Movement and history of the mothers’ branch. These basics were appreciated by all participants.
History
The history of the Mother’s Branch starts with the year 1940 when, on Christmas Eve, Fr Kentenich encouraged the married Schoenstatt women and mothers to form their own branch. After many retreats, thoughts and discussions held with great difficulty during the war, the mothers discovered what their crowning gift to the Blessed Mother (our MTA was crowned in the original Shrine on 10.12.1939) would be and also the ideal of their Branch.
The gift: A Monstrance
The ideal: To be like Mary, “a Living Monstrance”
The gift of a Monstrance was made by sacrificing their jewellery, gold and diamonds after 1945, including the wedding rings of thirty-three mothers’ whose husbands were killed in the war. What an incredible sacrifice!
The first Mothers’ Group in Australia formed on 6th April 1967 with eight mothers in Mt Druitt and a second group of 17 mothers had their first meeting on 17th April. By 1968 there were about six groups with approximately 10 mothers in each.
In 1974, when the Schoenstatt Family crowned the Blessed Mother in the foyer of the Jospeh Kentenich House, the mothers’ branch gave the gift of a newly designed Monstrance as their crowning gift.
In their prayer that give thanks to our Mother Thrice Admirable for having being called to be a “Living Monstrance” they gave themselves unreservedly in a renewed Covenant of Love.
Angela Benson, Zenny Custodio and Jenny Hogan gave short testimonials on what it means to them to belong to a Schoenstatt mothers’ group.
Angela recalled that in the late 1980’s her Menai parish priest, Fr Denis Foley, a Schoenstatt diocesan priest and brother of Sr Elizabeth, suggested she might enjoy being in a mothers’ group. They met fortnightly in the home of one of the mothers with Sr. Angrit patiently guiding them in Schoenstatt thinking in the midst of active children.
Over time it became a cohesive group learning about Mary from a Schoenstatt perspective, the mothers’ “10 minutes” (spent each day with the Lord and our Blessed Mother), spiritual daily order and Covenant of Love. Whilst this group is no longer active the bonds formed remain and the benefit of being a group formed locally is that the mothers still see and connect with one another at Mass and other places.
Zenny shared that being in a mothers’ group she experiences the feeling of belonging, shared values and motivation where we learn from one another, relating our life experiences through the lens of Fr Kentenich. She was very grateful for the support she received recently when her daughter-in-law gave birth to a daughter with a hole in her heart. The members of her mothers’ group were at the Shrine and sent her text messages assuring her of their prayers. How the Blessed Mother sends graces from the Shrine!
Zenny also shared the emotional experience of being chosen to be one of the mothers to carry the Monstrance from the pilgrim church to the Original Shrine in Germany during the 100 years celebration of Schoenstatt in 2014.
Jenny shared that her personal connection to Schoenstatt started by attending reflection days, retreat weekends then extending to formation days and ultimately making the Covenant of Love, all foundation stones.
Her faith has been enriched and strengthened, originally as a member of the women’s group and later as a member of a newly formed mothers group. She spoke of the priceless benefits of committing to regular meetings: “The opportunity to look at the life of Fr Kentenich and to grow in the spirituality of his teachings and discussing how these might relate to our own daily lives as mothers, grandmothers and women is a real blessing.”
These testimonies were thoroughly enjoyed by mothers who had more recently joined groups. It gave them inspiration and incentive to continue their journey, together with other like-minded women, who wish to live their faith to the fullest and be supported in their endeavours to become like Mary, a living monstrance, who bears Christ, brings Christ and serves Christ in today’s world.
Sr Elizabeth issued a challenge for us to update the mothers’ branch chronicle so that future groups can be inspired by the rich history.
Jenny Hogan
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