The official founding took place on April 23, 2023. Six Schoenstatt deacons met on that occasion in the Shrine of Araraquara, in the state of São Paulo, with their advisor, Father Vandemir Meister.
“The current and only group of deacons in Brazil has already begun a journey of about five years,” said Deacon Tiago Sartori, now a member of the branch.
Getting to know the structure of the Work
Father Vandemir explained in detail to the group how the organization and structure of the Schoenstatt Movement works. He spoke about its different levels, from the International and National Presidium, through the national and regional directors, to the local councils of the Schoenstatt Family. The priest also mentioned the difference between members and cooperators of the apostolic league, the four columns that make up the Schoenstatt Movement and the state of life of each one of them.
Next, the advisor “invited the deacons to reflect on where the current group would belong in the structure of the Apostolic Movement. The consensus was clear that this group is foundational, constituting the branch of the League of Permanent Deacons,” shared Deacon James.
Identity and mission of the new branch
With the foundation established, the second day of the event was dedicated to finding an identity and mission for the new branch. Deacon Tiago relates that the participants of this historic moment prayed, reflected, and came up with some definitions:
– As the name of the branch, they decided that it should be called “Apostolic League of Schoenstatt Deacons”.
– Its patron is Deacon João Luiz Pozzobon.
– Its logo is:
– – And its symbol: :
According to Deacon James, “the itinerary of formation and the clear definition of the mission is an immediate task for this first generation.” The name of this founding group and the group’s prayer will be further elaborated during the 2023 journey.” To this end, they will meet every two weeks, using online platforms, and every two months they will have a face-to-face meeting.
Initially, the group will focus on building the Schoenstatt Deacons’ Branch, developing the mystique, and adjusting the itinerary of formation. The Deacons’ League will work on its mission on two fronts:
– the first in the growth and expansion of the branch with the creation of new groups.
– the second, in spreading the knowledge of its patron, Deacon João Luiz Pozzobon.
Within the structure of the Work, this new branch belongs to the Priests’ Column and will be accompanied by the National Center of the Movement through the priest advisor, who is part of the Institute of the Schoenstatt Fathers.
The group is made up of eight deacons from three dioceses, all of them belonging to the State of Sao Paulo:
Deacon Antonio Sergio Vendramin, from the Diocese of São Carlos; Deacons Cleber Lucas Germano, Eduardo Cavalin Alves and Marcos Antonio Vieira, from the Archdiocese of Ribeirão Preto; and Deacons João Morato Filho, Sergio Clemente Ferreira Jr, Sidneis Aparecido Rodolffi and Tiago Sartori Costa, from the Diocese of Jaboticabal.
Dentro da estrutura da Obra, esse novo Ramo pertence à Coluna Sacerdotal e será acompanhado pela Central Nacional do Movimento, por meio do Padre Assessor, que faz parte do Instituto dos Padres de Schoenstatt.