The Shrine of the Families in Schoenstatt, Vallendar, was built 50 years ago with the joint effort of families from the entire International Schoenstatt Family Movement and was blessed on September 19, 1971.
The Family Shrine is located at the foot of what the Schoenstatt Family Movement calls “Mount Nazareth”, where the Family House is located about 600 meters away and 100 meters further up the mountain. The shrine, as a spiritual center, and the conference and guest house, which is especially suitable for families, are unfortunately quite far from each other. Therefore, in the Jubilee Year, there is talk of moving the Shrine closer to the Family House. The Schoenstatt Family Movement invites you to a birthday celebration on
Saturday, September 18, 2021, with the motto “50 YEARS OF MISSION – THE WE HAS FUTURE!”.
The network of home shrines and its spiritual center.
In a motivational video by the Schoenstatt Institute of Families, it is made clear that the Family Shrine was born out of the desire that the families of all the communities of the International Schoenstatt Movement would find a home there. This is expressed clearly through the network of Home Shrines, which numerous families from all over the world have joined, united with each other and in the heart of the Blessed Mother. Thus, the Family Shrine has represented this network of Home Shrines for 50 years and is its spiritual center. Father Kentenich spoke of the “Family Shrine as a symbol of the Home Shrine,” according to the video.
However, this Schoenstatt shrine also represents the vocation for marriage and family life and the mission of representing this vocation in a lively and attractive manner nowadays. This is why the invitation to the celebration says: “We believe that our MTA, from Mount Nazareth, wants to continue to be close and present, especially for married couples and families, to accompany and strengthen them.” Thus, for the communities and families involved, the Golden Jubilee celebration also has to do with the question of how this great mission can be realized 50 years after the dedication of the shrine given the present state of the Church and society.
Program for the 50th anniversary celebration
On Saturday, September 18, 2021, the birthday celebration is planned under the motto:
FAMILY SHRINE: 50 YEARS 0F MISSION – The WE has FUTURE!
The following is the program for the day and everyone is invited to participate:
– 2:00 pm: Arrival and welcome to the shrine, coffee.
– 3:00 pm: International Jubilee Celebration Service (broadcasted by www.schoenstatt-tv.de)
Download: Jubilee service – 50th. anniversary of the Shrine of the Families. (pdf)
– Followed by: Pilgrimage to the new site of the Shrine with the MTA image from the
– Family Shrine, Songs dedicated to our MTA, blessing ceremony.
-Time for conversation/get together, possibly contemporary witnesses from 1971.
– 6:00 pm: Barbecue
– Closure around 8:00 pm