On June 29, 2025, a special anniversary was celebrated in Maria Rast: 75 years ago, on July 2, 1950, Father Joseph Kentenich dedicated the first Schoenstatt Shrine on European soil there. This historic event was the occasion for a festive anniversary celebration at the Schoenstatt Center near Euskirchen. Numerous faithful, helpers, and prominent guests, such as Archbishop Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki, came together to commemorate this event. The anniversary was marked by an experience of joyful community, prayer, and spiritual depth, as well as a varied program for all generations.
The festive day was preceded by an atmospheric evening of prayer in the Jubilee Shrine, which was opened with 75 strokes of the chapel’s new bell. This was followed by a time of Eucharistic adoration until 10:00 p.m., during which an hour was also devoted to readings and songs.
Anniversary celebration with many helpers
In the early hours of the day of the celebration, many busy hands were already at work on the grounds of Maria Rast. Nearly 50 volunteers had been actively involved in the preparations and implementation in the run-up to and on the day of the anniversary.
“Light and Life”
The festive Holy Mass began at 11:30 a.m. in front of the Shrine and was held under the motto “Light and Life.” About 300 people took part. The Schoenstatt Family in the Archdiocese of Cologne was particularly pleased that Archbishop Cardinal Woelki had agreed to preside at the festive Holy Mass. Six other priests and two deacons concelebrated with him. Altar servers from the Schoenstatt Family and the Euskirchen Pastoral Unit accompanied the celebration. The choir “Cantiamo” from Rheinbach provided the musical accompaniment with lively songs.
Spiritual filling station and place of experience of faith
In his homily, Cardinal Woelki took up the sign of light and showed how the light of encounter with the Lord radiates from the Schoenstatt Shrine in Maria Rast. Such places are needed for deepening love, places of intimacy with the Lord, where his presence can be experienced among people and where people can share their lives with God, said the cardinal. In this way, the shrine helps people to step out of the monotony of everyday life and reorient themselves toward God.
(Photos: Evers)
Visitors to the Schoenstatt Shrine can encounter the Lord and his mother, Mary. This fills them with happiness and contentment, bringing a smile to their hearts and faces, and ultimately enables them to return to their everyday lives with renewed hope. All this happens here in Maria Rast in an unobtrusive, hospitable way, making this place a spiritual oasis, a place of faith experience, and a gathering point for many people far beyond the Euskirchen area. The heartfelt applause at the end of the sermon demonstrated that these words had resonated deeply with the hearts of those attending the service.
Before the closing prayer, Cardinal Woelki invited the festive congregation to sing a serenade to the Schoenstatt Shrine on its 75th birthday. Following the renewal of the Covenant of Love, Cardinal Woelki blessed some of the 214 pilgrim shrines that are on their way in the Archdiocese of Cologne and sent them out again.
(Photos: Evers)
Filling the jug in the shrine
In her greeting and words of thanks, Sister Marisa Spickers, Provincial Superior for the northern filiations of the Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary in Germany, explained, among other things, that “without the active help of many people, a great deal of faith and trust, and not least through sacrifice and prayer, the Shrine could not have been built in the post-war period. Today, too, we need people who will make this place a resting place for others, so that Maria Rast can be experienced as such. And today we need silent prayer, pilgrims, and visitors who fill the jar in the Shrine and return to their daily lives strengthened.”
A colorful program for everyone
After the service, visitors were treated to a varied afternoon program. In addition to culinary offerings, such as snacks, a cake buffet, a waffle stand, an ice cream truck, and beverage stations, various activities for children were also available, including craft stations and creative construction games with wooden blocks. A guessing game about the weight of the new bell and a raffle rounded out the program. Many used the lunch break to meet Cardinal Woelki, who was able to stay in Maria Rast until around 2:30 p.m. Other guests used the time to socialize in the park, accompanied by music from an accordion player.
“A divine initiative for centuries” – the Schoenstatt Shrine in Maria Rast
At 3:00 p.m., another highlight of the day followed: a festive lecture by Prof. Dr. Joachim Söder. Under the title “An initiative for centuries – the Schoenstatt Shrine in Maria Rast,” he illuminated the historical and spiritual significance of the place before a good 100 guests in the conference hall.
Söder described the political and ecclesiastical situation in 1950 as well as the challenges of the present day and contrasted them with words spoken by Father Kentenich in Maria Rast in 1950. The audience was impressed by the fact that Kentenich’s interpretation of the times has lost none of its relevance today. In Father Kentenich’s vision, Maria Rast was much more than a beautiful place of rest for body and soul, according to Söder. Father Kentenich emphasized several times in 1950 that this shrine was “a divine initiative for centuries.” From this shrine, Mary bestows the grace of faith, a light that guides us in understanding the meaning of today’s world history and responding to it from a position of faith. In this way, the spiritual is connected to the political and becomes a contribution to the world’s pursuit of peace. “When people allow themselves to be educated by Mary here and go out into the world as peacemakers, this is a contribution to building the Kingdom of God,” said Professor Söder. The global political significance of the shrine in Maria Rast lies in the power of faith to work for peace and reconciliation.
The anniversary celebrations concluded at 5:00 p.m. with a time of prayer at the Schoenstatt Shrine, during which thanksgiving for the anniversary celebrations and the effectiveness of the Blessed Mother was expressed once again through songs and texts, as well as in spontaneous echoes. The festive day ended with a final blessing and the wish for many more fruitful years in the service of the faith.
Source: schoenstatt.de
Translation: Sr. M. Lourdes Macías
