Organs of coordination
A person can belong to Schoenstatt by joining the Apostolic League, the Apostolic Federation or a Secular Institute.
Structure and organs of coordination
A person can belong to Schoenstatt by joining the Apostolic League, the Apostolic Federation or a Secular Institute. The criteria for joining depends on the degree of the apostolic, ascetical and community obligations to which one feels called. But we all unite in the charism: The Covenant of Love with Our Lady of Schoenstatt which is linked to the Shrine and to Father Kentenich; on the aims, the pedagogy and the spirituality of Schoenstatt.
The Apostolic League
Organized on diocesan level
It includes the following groups or branches: girl’s youth, boy’s youth, single professional women, married women and mothers, men, couples and priests.
The Apostolic Federations
Organized on the national level
Members of the Federation oblige themselves to a permanent apostolic service and foster an established form of community. In the spirit of the evangelical counsel.
They strive for perfection in keeping with their state in life.
The Secular Institutes
International Institutes
The members of a Secular Institute oblige themselves to a permanent apostolate and to an established form of community. They assume the evangelical counsels and strive for perfection in keeping with their state in life.
Communities' structure
Organs of coordination
At the International Level
General Presidium
Brings together the leaders of all the communities that are part of the Apostolic Movement, the General Presidium serves the unity and promotes team work in matters of common interest.
It bears the final responsibility for the spiritual legacy of the founder and for the authentic teaching in the spirit of his charism.
It represents the entire Apostolic Movement of Schoenstatt. In its relationship to the Holy See, the General Presidium is dependent on the Pontifical Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life, to which it periodically informs about the life and activities of the Apostolic Movement of Schoenstatt.
Study day at the General Presidency meeting in November 2023 with the presence of the Curatorium of Rome and participants on Synod about synodality
International coordination of the Schoenstatt Movement
The International Coordination Office, instituted by the General Presidium, is responsible for operational tasks at the service of cooperation and inspiration for the promotion of the common apostolate of the Apostolic Movement.
Information
It maintains the Movement’s official online site. There, it makes known the events of international interest, as well as those that take place at the Church level. By means of a quarterly bulletin it gathers the existing life in different countries. Annually publishes the Movement’s annual report.
Coordination
In solidarity and mission consciousness, it collaborates in the unity of the Movement at the international level, gathering the existing life-streams in the countries, promoting reflection regarding the signs of the times and mutual support in order to respond to what God is asking of us. To this end, it regularly convokes the Pentecost Congresses.
Representation
It represents the Schoenstatt Movement in general before the Church and society.
Continental Coordination of the Americas
It has the same structure and tasks of the International Coordination.
At the National Level
National Presidium
It is responsible for the spiritual legacy of Schoenstatt, for unity and for collaboration in common affairs. It represents the Apostolic Movement before the Bishops’ Conference of the country.
National Central Committee
- It has the mission to secure the charism and inspire the Movement in the Schoenstatt Apostolic League and Schoenstatt Pilgrims.
- It is constituted by those who perform a service of inspiration: it promotes spiritual formation and education, as well as training for the apostolate; it also coordinates the apostolic initiatives in a specific country; it supports common initiatives and carries out events on a national level of the entire Movement.
- The Members of the National Central Committee are: The National Movement Director, who is appointed by the National Presidium, and the persons in charge of the branches – who are placed at the disposal of the above-mentioned tasks and are appointed by the National Director.
Diocesan Councils
- They have the immediate responsibility for the Apostolic League and the Schoenstatt Pilgrims in their diocese.
- They unite the community in the mission and diocesan ideal. They direct their strategy taking up the pastoral goals of the diocesan Church and coordinate apostolic activities and service to these goals.
- The members of a Diocesan Council are: The Diocesan Director (appointed by the National Movement Director), the diocesan leaders of the branches of the League existing in the diocese, the diocesan coordinator. The persons in charge of the diocese of the League branches may also be present, as also the representatives of the Institutes, Federations and Apostolic Initiatives present in the diocese.