This year, we celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Fourth Historic Milestone of the Schoenstatt Family. On December 24, 1965, our founder, Father Joseph Kentenich, returned to Schoenstatt after 14 years of exile. Two days earlier, he promised Pope Paul VI that the Schoenstatt Family would support the post-conciliar mission of the Church. To celebrate the jubilee and ask God to show us new ways to fulfill this promise, Fr. Alexandre Awi Mello, on behalf of the General Presidium, invited everyone to a Holy Mass in the Adoration Church, celebrated on December 17.
Challenge in the present and light for the future
Fr. Alexandre, as the main celebrant, welcomed the members of the Schoenstatt General Presidium and the different communities of the Movement who were present. He described the Fourth Historical Milestone as an event that not only belongs to the past but also challenges us in the present and illuminates our future. He reminded us that Schoenstatt does not exist for itself, but is an instrument of God for the Church in the present time.
For the celebration of the Second Vatican Council
In his homily, Dr. Christian Löhr, Rector General of the Schoenstatt Institute of Diocesan Priests, addressed the Advent readings and, based on them, established a bridge with the milestones in Schoenstatt’s history. Fr. Kentenich defined the four milestones as a fundamental event which, in addition to their historical significance, is relevant for the inner growth of the Schoenstatt Movement.
The Fourth Milestone refers primarily to Schoenstatt’s position within the Church and the modern world. Schoenstatt took on the special task of forming the “Church of the new shores” and of committing itself to implementing the Second Vatican Council. Dr. Löhr briefly addressed the different events that are part of the Fourth Milestone and quoted the words of Father Kentenich, who, in a colloquial tone (on December 31, 1965), recounted the promise he made to Pope Paul VI in the private audience (on December 22, 1965):
“In recent days, I have had the opportunity to tell you, in one way or another, what I promised the Holy Father on the occasion of the unexpected audience: We, as a Family (…), want to strive, with all means, to help the Pope in the (realization of the) post-conciliar mission of the Church. Thus, the expression ‘dilexit ecclesiam’ will take on a profound and meaningful significance: Dilexit ecclesiam! Schoenstatt dilexit ecclesiam. Love for the Church impels us to support the post-conciliar mission of the Church in the most complete way possible and in every sense.”
With Mary towards new times
While we sang the final song, “Protect us with your mantle,” in different languages, the General Presidium gathered at Father Kentenich’s tomb to thank him for his unwavering fidelity to God’s plan and mission. The members once again placed themselves at the disposal of his mission and repeated with confidence: “With Mary, full of hope and confident of victory, towards the newest times!”
A day of encounter and gratitude
For the members of the General Presidium, a day full of meetings followed at the Marienland conference center. Members who were unable to be present in Schoenstatt participated virtually. In the evening, during a cheerful gathering in the cafeteria, two members bid farewell to the circle with words of sincere gratitude: Dr. Gertrud Pollak, until then Superior General of the Ladies of Schoenstatt, and Dr. Christian Löhr.
Translation: Sr. M. Lourdes Macías
