Home Shrine
Frances & Stephen Zunker Dedicate Home Shrine
On Oct. 5, Stephen & Frances Zunker prepared a special place of honor in their home for God and Mary, Mother Thrice Admirable, Queen and Victress of Schoenstatt.
The home shrine is a place of prayer and spiritual encounter for the family in their home and is the place where they receive the graces of the Shrine in a special way. Home shrines originated in the early 1960s when families were looking for strength and guidance from the Blessed Mother as they raised their children. The first home shrines were blessed by Fr. Kentenich!
The Zunkers’ home shrine was blessed by Fr. Kris Pawlowski, pastor of St. Jerome Catholic Church (the couple’s home parish) and Fr. Michael Kast, Shrine rector for the Schoenstatt Movement of Austin.
The Zunkers began their Schoenstatt journey in 1998 when they became SPMA missionaries and made their Covenant of Love in October 2023. They currently serve as the SPMA diocesan coordinators, organizing the circulation of the Pilgrim shrines in San Antonio, Uvalde and Del Rio and acting as a liaison between the missionaries and Schoenstatt leadership.
There are a few traditions associated with dedicating a home shrine, such as are giving it a name and adding symbols found in Schoenstatt Shrines and even personal symbols that represent the family members. The Zunkers named their home shrine “Queen of Our Home.”
Making a large, beautifully framed image of the Mother Thrice Admirable the central focus, the Zunkers added the following symbols to their home shrine:
- Statue of St. Michael the Archangel, a symbol of protection and justice
- Picture of Fr. Joseph Kentenich, founder of the Schoenstatt Apostolic Movement
- Picture Sr. M. Emilie, who collaborated with Fr. Kentenich in the founding of the Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary
- Relic of John Pozzobon (fragment of the fabric that had touched his bones), represents the mission of the Schoenstatt Pilgrim Mother Apostolate to “continually bring Jesus anew to the world” and a reminder to be Mary’s instrument in fulfilling this mission
- The Father Eye, Schoenstatt symbol that represents God the Father's love and care for his children
- Unity Cross, represents Christ's relationships with Mary and the Father
- Statue of St. Joseph with the young child Jesus in his arms, represents his role as the father of Jesus as well as the love and support that a father provides his family
- Holy Spirit medal with dove, represents the Holy Spirit; as the center of the Schoenstatt spirituality, we pray, "Unite us in holy tri-unity and thus we will walk in the Holy Spirit to the Father." (Fr. Kentenich)
“Mary,” says Frances Zunker, “leads us into a deep, lasting, ever more profound relationship with God.”