23 December 2024 · 2024-12 newsletter
September – November
1) Schoenstatt Daughters And Ladies City Retreat, 7 September
On Saturday, 7 September, we gathered at St Aloysius Parish Shenton Park to commence our mothers and daughters retreat afternoon. After an ice breaker we greeted the Lord in the church and prayed a devotion in honour of Mary on her birthday the following day, entrusting our pilgrimage walk in Bold Park to her.
Some more mums and daughters joined us at Bold Park. During our walk we reflected on Mary’s life, shared with each other about our faith, and chose a mystery of the rosary and a fitting flower to quietly reflect on and colour in. We also were able to pray the rosary at the Ocean view lookout and pray for our intentions and those entrusted to us. Our retreat afternoon finished with presenting gifts to Mary and finding out about the Schoenstatt picture of grace in a treasure hunt.
Many thanks to St Aloysius parish for allowing us to start our retreat in their church, and also hosting us for our mother and daughter sessions throughout the year.
2) September & November – Schoenstatt Girls Faith Club
On 15 September and 24 November girls aged 12-17 (senior members), as well as girls aged 8-11 (junior members) met from 1-3pm at the Shrine for faith & fun activities.
These included activities and discussions which connect faith with their lives, especially for the teenagers.
This is a new initiative in trying to build up the girls branch here in Perth, while allowing the girls and their families to become active in their parishes.
Meetings are usually held every two months at the Shrine plus holiday activities as well as leadership training and fellowship for the older girls.
As many have quite a distance to travel to the Shrine, usually the mums also stay and have their own session based on a similar topic to the girls.
3) Christ The King Youth Festival – Schoenstatt Prayer Chapel And Jubilee Prayer Wall
On Sunday 24 November, the youth of the Archdiocese of Perth gathered for the annual World Youth Day Celebrations on the feast of Christ the King. The celebrations began with a 5pm Mass in the Cathedral celebrated by the Rev. Fr. Vincent Glynn VG. After the World Youth Day cross was processed to the main stage, the festival activities began with live music, outdoor movie, and manifold expo stalls.
Seven senior members of the Girls Faith Club made a pilgrimage to the Cathedral for the Christ the King Youth Festival after having had a session at the Shrine. Three mums and a young woman helped with the driving, as well as in the Schoenstatt Prayer Chapel guiding everyone to participate in a prayer wall activity shared with the Centre for Faith Enrichment.
The blurb for the Schoenstatt prayer chapel read:
Take a moment to reflect and pray in the Schoenstatt Prayer Chapel in the Acoustic Garden (to the left of the stage)! Write your prayer intentions and offerings and place them onto the prayer wall. All prayer notes will be brought to the Schoenstatt Shrine afterwards to be burnt, a place of pilgrimage to the Mother of God, and for the 2025 Jubilee Year.
Eleven young women from the women faith club wrote a testimony for the event and a number of them were present as well. Here is one from Marian:
Being part of the WFC allowed me to journey with other young Catholic women on how to be a little Mary in our daily lives.
I learnt practical ways to devote every moment to prayer and offer sacrifices for our Lord. In my own way, I can love and serve those people around me, in uni, at work and in my family, with Mary as my role model.
I also loved spending quiet time in the shrine as it helped me avoid distractions and focus on listening to the Holy Spirit. Being surrounded by like-minded young Catholic women motivated me to strive to be more like Mary, offered support and encouragement to live our Catholic faith boldly in society and to respond to God’s call in my everyday life.
At a time when I was overwhelmed with my studies, personal struggles, and feeling burnt out, I was reminded to ask Mary to be my Mother. She would hold our hand, love and care for us and bring us to her Son, Jesus. I was reminded to be childlike in trusting our Lord and be secure in his love for us, even during moments of hurt and struggle.
4) Women Faith Club & 30 November Advent Women Retreat
We’ve also had our Women Faith Club meetings every 1st Wednesday in the City, and 4th Sunday at the Shrine. We are continuing reading from Everyday Spirituality, as well as the teaching on the Theology of the Body.
For our Advent Retreat on 30th November, we had the theme: “Pilgrims of Hope together with Mary”. The participants learnt about the jubilee year – the holy doors in Rome and local pilgrimages, the theme of hope and the meaning of and how to gain the indulgences. The women really enjoyed it, as well as the sharing with one another in groups, the quiet reflection time, prayer in the Shrine and a concluding afternoon tea.
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