History Of The Schoenstatt Movement in San Antonio, Texas
In 1962, the Schoenstatt spirituality came to the archdiocese of San Antonio with the arrival of four Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary to a new parish, St. Lawrence, the Martyr, in the far Southside of the city. These Schoenstatt Sisters, born in Germany, enduring the challenges of language and culture, quickly organized the new parish school.
Sr. Renata, school principal, immediately began the first girls youth group among the seventh and eighth grade girls. Groups for boys, couples and mothers soon developed as well. Out of love for the Blessed Mother, the men of the parish built first wayside shrine, a chapel, adjacent to the Schoenstatt Sisters residence down the street from the parish.
Through the 1970’s and 80’s, more groups were developed and the Shrine of Unity became a place of pilgrimage…Mass was often celebrated by the parish priests or visiting Schoenstatt Fathers.
In 1973, the young Schoenstatt community of girls youth, boys youth, mothers and couples, crowned their Mother as Queen of Unity with the petition that she would help them build a replica shrine of the Original Shrine in Germany for the Archdiocese of San Antonio.
In 1985, the centennial year of the Founder, Ft. Joseph Kentenich, the local Schoenstatt family was inspired to acquire the Father Eye as the first symbol for their future daughter shrine and as a gift in advance for his canonization.
In 1988, after twenty-six years of service to the parish, the Schoenstatt Sisters, due to a lack of vocations, decided to return to their provincial house and the Confidentia Shrine in Lamar, Texas. The doors of the Unity Shrine on Petaluma Street were permanently closed after the covenant day devotion on December 18, 1988.
For the next two years, the dedicated Schoenstatt members continued the monthly covenant devotion from one parish to another. It became apparent that the monthly gatherings needed to be consistently held in one specific place, until the property for a replica shrine was located and purchased. A very generous family offered some property to build a temporary wayside shrine. Through donations of funds and labor the second wayside shrine, named Fountain of Family Unity was built. Dedicated on April 29, 1990, by Archbishop Patricio Flores, the chapel became the new spiritual home where the Schoenstatt Family could continue to celebrate Covenant Day Masses, devotions and weekly rosaries.
In 1995, a generous benefactor offered to purchase the property for the future shrine when it was found. After years of searching for the “beautiful place” for a daughter shrine of our Mother and Queen, we came upon this beautiful 52-acre property, later named Mount Schoenstatt. The Schoenstatt family agreed that this was the long awaited place where the Blessed Mother would finally make her home in San Antonio.
Schoenstatt Pilgrim Mother Apostolate (SPMA)
“BECOME A MISSIONARY FOR MARY….SHE WILL WORK MIRACLES”
“We often have no idea how and where we should start. Let us try it with the Mother of God. She is the Great Missionary after all. All we need to do is to introduce her into people’s hearts. And even if it seems as though these hearts are not ready to receive her, let us at least try it! The impossible will become possible.” J. Kentenich
The Schoenstatt Schoenstatt Pilgrim Mother Apostolate (SPMA) is an apostolate within the International Schoenstatt Movement.
The Schoenstatt Pilgrim Mother Apostolate (SPMA) began in 1950, in Santa Maria, Brazil and started in Texas in 1987. From the Shrine, missionaries are commissioned with the Pilgrim MTA to go on pilgrimage with Mary to carry Jesus to visit families, parishes, schools, the sick and homebound. The rosary is recited during the visit. There she serves the needs of the people and intercedes for miracles of inner transformation in lives. Therefore, her motherly concern for us in love of Christ urges her to come to us through the Schoenstatt Pilgrim Mother Apostolate (SPMA).
What takes place when the Pilgrim MTA goes to visit families and homes?
When the Blessed Virgin Mary went to visit her cousin, Elizabeth, her presence brought many blessings. Not only did Mary serve Elizabeth’s physical needs, she brought the Lord with her into Elizabeth’s house. She filled the atmosphere in the home with praises of God, prompted joy, inspired prophecy, and prepared the way for the miracle of Zechariah’s cure. (Luke 1:39-56)
Mary wants to carry Jesus into our homes, serve our needs, and intercede for miracles in our lives. She knows that we cannot travel easily to the great pilgrimage places like Lourdes in France, Fatima in Portugal, Schoenstatt in Germany, etc. Therefore, her motherly concern for us and her devotion to Christ urge her to COME TO US.
To become a Missionary or join an established group, contact:
Laura Martinez 210-336-8550 (Spanish)
Frances Zunker 210-380-3295 (English & Spanish)
Stephen Zunker 210-380-3298 (English)
Recurring Events:
- Commissioning of new Missionaries – once per quarter on the 1st Saturday of the month after Holy Vigil Mass at 5 p.m (contact Frances Zunker for 2025 commissioning dates)
Mother's Branch
The members of the Schoenstatt Mother's Branch stive to fulfill their calling as the heart of their family with the Blessed Mother as their model. With the guidance of a lay leader, they meet monthly in groups of 7 to 12 women seeking a deeper attachment with Mary, who ultimately leads all of her children to the Triune God. The group learns and discusses the Marian lifestyle within the Schoenstatt spirituality. They prepare to seal the Covenant of Love in the shrine with the Blessed Mother, under the title of Mother Thrice Admirable, Queen and Victress of Schoenstatt. The ideal of the Schoenstatt mother is to be like Mary, the Living Monstrance, who is Christ-bearer, Christ-bringer and Christ-server.
Schoenstatt Family Branch
The Schoenstatt Family Branch wants to bring about a renewal in our society and in the Church through the renewal of family life under the guidance of Mary. Our aim as Schoenstatt families is to become “the domestic Church”. Our way of building up a covenant culture in society is primarily through keeping alive our home shrine and fostering its ideal and the life proceeding from it, including our apostolic endeavors. Schoenstatt couples strive to realize the ideal of Catholic marriage in accordance with the moral teachings of the Church. According to Schoenstatt’s founder, we are called to live the “ideal” of the Nazareth Family. We form couples or family groups of four to ten couples who meet monthly and have guided discussions on relevant subjects—marriage, family life, our Catholic faith and the core elements of the Schoenstatt spirituality: the covenant of love, practical faith in Divine Providence, everyday sanctity and instrumentality. Through a special resolution which is decided at the end of the meetings, the topic discussed is put into practice in daily life. In their homes, the couples try to adhere faithfully to the Schoenstatt Hour, a weekly hour of communication between husband and wife.
Contact:
Rene Gabino y Jessica Matute.
E mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Phone: text message or wp: 2105109318
Los grupos de matrimonios
Como matrimonios, estamos llamados a vivir en plenitud el Sacramento del Matrimonio. Un matrimonio fortalecido y cerca de Dios, brindaran costumbres familiares sanas llenas de amor para nuestros hijos y nuestra comunidad.
La Rama de familias de Schoenstatt tiene un objetivo claro y es convertirnos en “la Iglesia doméstica”, ayudando ha construir familias solidas que puedan ser talleres donde se forje el hombre nuevo, con valores cristianos, renovando nuestra sociedad, bajo la intercesión de nuestra Madre María.
Nuestro Padre Fundador, Padre Fundador José Kentenich no dice:
”Estamos convencidos de la misión universal de Schoenstatt, porque sabemos que sólo podremos cumplir nuestra misión para el mundo y la Iglesia si se renueva la célula básica de la sociedad humana, es decir, si se renueva la familia. Más aún, sólo es posible si la familia es incluida en la Alianza de Amor y puede participar en el misterio de Schoenstatt”.
Y por ello los invitamos a que formen parte de este hermoso crecimiento como matrimonios, como parejas que desean crecer en su vida matrimonial, familiar y espiritual, compartiendo en comunidad la pedagogía y las herramientas que el Movimiento de Schoenstatt ofrece. Queremos vivir con Ustedes el ideal de familia que nos legó nuestro Padre Fundador:
“Una familia schoenstattiana es una familia que en la fuerza de la Alianza de Amor con la Madre y Reina Tres Veces Admirable de Schoenstatt, aspira a hacer realidad el ideal de la Familia de Nazareth, conforme a la época en la que vive”.
Los contacto los puede realizar con:
Rene Gabino y Jessica Matute.
Correo electrónico: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Teléfono por mensaje de texto o wp: 2105109318
