We in Austria are still deeply affected by the school shooting in Graz. As the Schoenstatt Movement and personally, this event hit us especially hard because 15-year-old Luzia, the daughter of a Schoenstatt family, lost her life.
What we experienced in the days following this tragedy deeply moved me. Luzia’s parents invited people to pray in their garden every day; countless people came each evening until the funeral, praying and remembering Luzia together. The funeral itself became a profound celebration of resurrection, leaving a lasting impression on everyone who attended.
This is an example that illustrates how people face significant personal challenges and unexpected blows of fate. The way they position themselves internally in response to these challenges varies significantly. Why are some people able to develop resilience and maintain hope amid pain and misunderstanding, while others break down and become bitter?
There is probably no single answer to that. But what we, as the Austrian Schoenstatt Movement, have experienced especially this year is the power of the Covenant. Our motto for the year, “Living in the Covenant – Our Path of Hope,” gives us both human and supernatural support and hope when life falls apart.
Fr. Josef Kentenich speaks of the Covenant of Love as the fundamental power of our spirituality. A fundamental power is far more than a pleasant, gentle idea—it is the foundation on which we are allowed to stand and from which we can actively and confidently shape our lives. Again and again, we share stories of sustaining covenant experiences, and these bring growing security and strengthen our personal faith in a loving God.
In Anne Will’s political podcast, the Ukrainian ambassador was recently quoted as saying: “We don’t need mediators; we need covenant partners!”
Who are your human and heavenly covenant partners, the ones you rely on in these challenging times, the ones who give you hope and confidence? This year, we are especially invited to give these relationships space and to deepen them consciously.
Source: basis-online.net
Editor’s Note: Young Luzia Haiden, daughter of a couple from the Schoenstatt Family League, died on June 10, 2025, in an attack on a school in Graz, Austria. Pope Leo XIV remembered the eleven people who died in this attack and assured the families, teachers, and students of his closeness.