It has been a tradition of the Schoenstatt Family of San Antonio to crown Blessed Mother each year during the month of May which honors Mary.  The first crowning was in 1973, when she was crowned with the title “Queen of Unity”.  We crown Mary to acknowledge her Queenship as Queen of Heaven and Earth:  on her Assumption, Mary our Mother was solemnly crowned by Christ.  In the fifth glorious mystery of the Rosary – The Coronation, we pray:  You reign now in heaven as Queen and dwell in bliss with the Triune God.  With your Son you govern the world:  He has chosen you to be its Mother.  [Heavenwards, p.100]  The final prayer of the Rosary begins with the greeting:  Hail Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy…

On October 11 of the Marian Year 1954, Pope Pius XII proclaimed Mary, Queen of Heaven and Earth and instituted the Feast of the Queenship of Mary, which the Church celebrates today on August 22.

Pilar Huerta, Family Federation

Communications Editor

Family Congress

Schoenstatt - Archdiocese of San Antonio

January 16, 2016

The significance and life implications expressed from the call coming from Pope Francis, the international Schoenstatt leaders and the Texas movement

Representatives of the branches and communities gathered at Mount Schoenstatt to discuss how to go out into the world as a local movement asking ourselves, “What does Schoenstatt want to offer to the Church and society at present?”  We tried to answer this challenging question knowing that Pope Francis is calling the Catholic movements to leave their comfort zone and to go out to the peripheries of society, and that the international leaders of our movement invite us to get out and share our spiritual treasures with everybody, suggesting strongly the idea: “Schoenstatt on the move.”

Additionally, the Texas Schoenstatt Movement proclaimed the annual motto, mentioned above, stating “With Mary, We Go - A New Pentecost for our Times.” But where should we go? In what direction do we want to walk in the time to come?

Here is the result of our inspired deliberations that were shared in prayer, tolerance and respect.

VISION

We came to the common conviction that we want with the help and guidance of the Divine Providence --

To lead ourselves and others to a deep and organic encounter with the Living God and with one another in Christ, through the Covenant of Love with Mary, Mother and Educator.

After a lively and proactive discussion, we clarified that everything that we want to achieve in the service to the people and Church has to have the central elements of our spirituality: total confidence in Divine Providence; encounter with God the Father in Christ; family spirit and unity; proclamation of the covenant of love for everyone as the mission of our Founder Joseph Kentenich; Mary from the shrine in her role not only as mother, but as educator as well.

After the vision discussion we tackled the obvious question: How do we want to accomplish it?  The next step was then to express what we are already and positively doing to achieve that vision. The initial result is as follows:

Our CCD classes will be starting again on August 31, 2015 at the St. Lawerence Church. I plan to share the Love that Father Kentenich, had for our Blessed Mother and how it's so vital to spend time with our Schoenstatt family. The agenda is I will be visiting 3 classrooms, for 15 minutes each and will share pictures and prayers from Father Kentenich Novena. I am very excited about sharing the graces with our young children.

The Second Milestone in the History of the Schoenstatt Movement

Every January the Schoenstatt Family commemorates and gives thanks for the second milestone in our history, January 20, 1942.  It was an act of simple trust in divine Providence; it was an act of standing in divine confidence and a battle for “inner” freedom.  It was an act so significant it is referred to as the “axis” of our Schoenstatt history.  One of the fruits of this milestone is the founding of the Schoenstatt Family Work which is of personal significance to me as I have been blessed to belong to the family branch of Schoenstatt, together with my husband, for over 30 years.   I hope the sermon below explains the importance of this date in our history and for all the Schoenstatt Family that it will help us to live the spirit of January 20^th in our lives.

Pilar Huerta, Family Federation

Our father and his decision of 20 January 1942

[Excerpt from a sermon on 20 January 2006 in the Adoration Church in Schoenstatt by Mons. Dr. Peter Wolf]

 Dear Schoenstatt Family,

 You only need to mention some dates and a whole people or generation knows what is meant.  If you mention the date 11 September today, you can be certain that everyone will connect with it the terrible events of the terror attack on the USA.  … You only need to mention 11 September and the whole cosmos of experiences will have been conjured up.

Something similar happens with the 20 January for our Schoenstatt Family.  This date, or the 18 October or 31 May, stand for a whole world of experiences and connected realities in the history of our Movement.  What has brought us together this evening is the decision and fullness of life connected with the 20 January 1942 in our father’s life and our Schoenstatt Family.  Just one day prior to it, it was still completely unclear whether there would be a 20 January with its decision and significance as we know it today.

The celebration of the Texas Schoenstatt Family on July 12, 2014 commemorated the arrival of the founder, Father Joseph Kentenich, to the city of Corpus Christi, Texas in 1948.  For article and photos:  www.schoenstatt.org/en/news/2041/262/Commemorating In this second part we will follow our founder’s footsteps on our Texas soil in his mid-June 1948 visit in Corpus Christi.

Father Kentenich’s visit to Corpus Christi

Father Kentenich, accompanied by Father Wilwers, flew from Milwaukee to Arkansas to meet with Abbot Paul Nahlen (1882-1957) at the New Subiaco Abbey in Subiaco, Arkansas.   Abbot Nahlen had invited and arranged the trip for Father Kentenich’s visit to Arkansas and Texas.  In 1947, Abbot Nahlen had discovered the Schoenstatt Sisters in Germany and was interested in them coming to help his friend, Emmanuel Ledvina, bishop of the Diocese of Corpus Christi.  The bishop himself was very interested in having the sisters come to his diocese.  Father Kentenich, Father Wilwers and Abbot Nahlen made the long road trip from Arkansas to Corpus Christi, Texas.

 “Living Our Covenant Mission in Today’s Modern World”

Today’s fast-paced world places many demands on our lives and the lives of our families.  With personal communication shifting to the internet and the recent social media explosion, how do we continue to be Mary’s instruments in spreading God’s word and living our covenant mission?

Please join us for a day of reflection on Saturday, July 26, 2014 from 1:00 pm - 5:30 pm with registration beginning at 12:30 pm -- Mount Schoenstatt, 17071 Low Road in Helotes, TX.  The fee is $12 per couple (lunch included).  The presenter is Fr. Marcelo Aravena.  Holy Mass will be at 4:30 pm. 

On July 12, 2014, the Schoenstatt Family of Texas gathered in Corpus Christi to celebrate the Jubilee with the unveiling and blessing of the Father Joseph Kentenich Memorial.  The bust of our founder which commemorates his arrival in the city of Corpus Christi, Texas in 1948 is a jubilee gift of the Texas Family. 

Father Joseph Kentenich’s visit to America in 1948

The Annual Lenten Day Retreat, hosted by the Family Branch, was held on April 12 with the theme:  “A Church without joy is unthinkable!” [Apostolic Exhortation of Pope Francis, Gospel of Joy]