Kentenich and Esser: Priestly Fatherhood
Here is a reflection by Father Balthasar Blumers on the internal closeness and external distance of Father Kentenich, illustrated by his relationship with Fritz Esser.
January 18, 2024
Some people’s lives become remarkable and significant when they leave a message of commitment and love for the mission. This is the case of the people we call “Schoenstatt Heroes.” They are personalities who inspire new generations to follow Christ, living in Covenant with Mary. Some of these personalities are recognized by the Church and bear titles such as “Blessed,” “Venerable,” or “Servant of God.” Others are popularly known within the Schoenstatt Work, internally, and all have the same characteristic: fidelity and enthusiasm in the life of the Covenant of Love. You will find articles about Schoenstatt heroes and news about their beatification processes on this page. But more than that, this page wants to be an inspiration for the emergence of new heroes worldwide.
Here is a reflection by Father Balthasar Blumers on the internal closeness and external distance of Father Kentenich, illustrated by his relationship with Fritz Esser.
100 years ago, the young Fritz Esser, co-founder of Schoenstatt, hero from the first generation, gave his life. He left behind him a story of love and enthusiasm, of failures and new beginnings, of real life – illuminated by the Covenant of Love.
Do you know this young Schoenstatt hero? Probably not, but no doubt you have seen many times the product of his work, which can be found in all the Shrines of the Schoenstatt Movement: the light frame SERVUS MARIAE NUNQUAM PERIBIT around the image of Mary: A servant of Mary will never perish.
The Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary are establishing themselves once again next to the Unity Shrine in Cambrai, France. Sister M. Resia Käppeler and Sister Mirjam Metzler have been there since October 4, 2023.
Slowly and organically, the servant of God João Luis Pozzobon kept increasing his daily prayers. He eventually prayed 15 rosaries a day. He did this while walking with the Pilgrim Mother and also while doing his household chores. For example, he would put marks on the handle of his hoe to pray while weeding. According to him, when you love someone very much, you usually repeat their name. And John tried to say it as many times as he could: Ave Maria….
Gertraud von Bullion is an inspiration for today’s women, especially young women. This is the time of young women: to be a game-changer for something great that can change the world – like Mary.
The only priest who refused to swear allegiance to Adolf Hitler was a Pallottine and Schoenstatt priest: Franz Reinisch. He was executed for his fidelity to his conscience in the early morning of August 21, 1942. Since 1962, Schoenstatt men have gathered on the night of Franz Reinisch’s death near the place of his execution to retrace his life’s testimony.
This is what faith challenges us and enables us to do – The life testimony of Franz Reinisch, a torch of love and peace.
He is the only priest in history to be ordained in a concentration camp. But that’s not all, there are other interesting facts about the life of Blessed Karl Leisner.
Meditations on the value of the cross for a Christian. Father Kentenich said: “We must have the most heartfelt certainty that God has drawn up a plan, not only a plan for the world, but also a plan for my personal life. Who has conceived this plan? Not only God’s wisdom and omnipotence, but also his love.”
Father Kentenich said of Joseph Engling that he was the living Founding Document of Schoenstatt. He lived the Covenant of Love with Mary with heroism. The house where he was born and his school, located in Prosity, Poland, are historical places that we can visit and where one can even stay. A new edition of “Joseph Engling Info-Brief” is being published.
Both John Louis Pozzobon and Saint Juan Diego are humble, plain townspeople, God-fearing and devoted to Mary.
A Place, a Movement, a Way of Life, a Mission