A centenary is no ordinary milestone—and for the Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary, 100 years calls for a year-long celebration.
Throughout 2026, the international community will commemorate its jubilee together with the wider Schoenstatt Family and the public. Events are taking place at various centers where the sisters live and serve, culminating in a major celebration at their place of origin in Schoenstatt, Germany, on October 3.
International celebration at the Place of Origin
On the first weekend of May the sisters celebrated with an event as an international community in Schoenstatt that brought together around 500 sisters from more than 30 countries. For many, it was their first visit to this spiritual home. The event was also livestreamed, allowing participants from around the world to join in giving thanks for a century filled with God’s blessings and guiding presence.
In the days following the main celebration, the sisters from oversees had the opportunity to visit key sites tied to the history of Schoenstatt and the development of their community.
Candlelight procession and night of prayer
The weekend opened with a pilgrimage to the Original Shrine in the Schoenstatt Valley—the place where the community began a century ago. After a brief prayer service, participants joined a candlelight procession up Mount Schoenstatt, stopping at meaningful locations including the sisters’ cemetery and the Mariengarten Shrine, before concluding at the Adoration Church. There, Eucharistic adoration continued throughout the night.
The climax of the celebrations
Saturday, May 2, marked the central day of the jubilee. A festive Holy Mass in the Adoration Church featured a symbolic offering of 100 lilies, representing gratitude and dedication to God and the Blessed Mother. Sisters of different ages and nationalities carried the flowers in procession, reflecting the global and intergenerational character of the community.
Celebrations continued with shared meals across the various houses on the mountain. At the Conference Center Marienland, the sisters received a special surprise: members of the youngest course of the Mothers Federation performed a self-composed song expressing their appreciation and joy.
A gift for the future
The afternoon program focused on reflection and remembrance. Through presentations and personal testimonies, the community revisited its history and growth over the past century. This was followed by a prayer service and benediction in the Adoration Church, where a symbolic gift—a pillar of light—was presented. Now placed before the image of the Mother Thrice Admirable, Queen and Victress of Schoenstatt, the pillar represents the community’s shared offering to God. It was blessed by Father Bernd Biberger, General Director of the Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary, and illuminated for the first time by Sr. M. Joanna Buckley, the community’s General Superior.
The day concluded with an international buffet and a cultural evening, celebrating the diversity and unity of the sisters’ global mission.
The spirit of the weekend is captured in a prayer by the founder, Father Joseph Kentenich:
“For everything, yes for everything,
let me give heartfelt thanks,
clinging to you, Mother, with tender love.
What would have become of us without you and without your motherly care!
Because you delivered us from great need
and bound us to yourself in faithful love,
I will give you thanks, be grateful forevermore
and dedicate myself to you with undivided love. Amen.”
]As the jubilee year continues, the Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary look ahead with gratitude for the past and renewed commitment to their mission for the future.
