A few months ago, the Schoenstatt Women’s Apostolic League was created in Rome (Italy), consisting of young women who, inspired by their devotion to Mary and accompanied by Sr. M. Carol Etchegaray, are carrying out their apostolic commitment mainly in their work environment. On July 13, they gathered at the Cor Ecclesiae Shrine for a new encounter, deepening on the topic of character, particularly according to René Le Senne’s study on characterology. It was a valuable opportunity to get to know themselves better in the light of faith and Schoenstatt’s self-education.
How did this group come about?
The Women’s League was born in Rome out of the desire of 12 women to grow spiritually under the loving guidance and protection of the Mother of Schoenstatt. The aim is to commit to a path of formation growing in awareness of one’s own identity, highlighting the values inherent in women to become “new” women (Colossians 3:9-10) who, following Mary’s example, collaborate with Christ in the work of redeeming the world.
Interview about the Women’s League in Rome
To better understand how this adventure began and is developing in this women’s branch, we asked Rossella Minici, one of the members of the group, a few questions, and she kindly responded:
How did the Women’s League in Rome begin?
The Women’s League was born in Rome in a simple, almost natural way, from the common desire of some women to find a space where they could grow in faith, live authentic relationships, and feel welcomed. It was a journey that did not have a rigid structure at the beginning; on the contrary, it developed through personal invitations and a common desire for something deeper and more stable. The Schoenstatt Movement offered us a spiritual framework, and the heart of the experience was and is the encounter: among ourselves, with the Mother of God, and with God.
How was the experience during the first meetings?
We began in a very simple way; each meeting was rich and carefully prepared. So far, we have met four or five times, and each time we follow a rhythm that we already consider our own: we begin with Holy Mass, prepared with attention and care by all of us, so that we feel and participate in each part of the liturgy. In the first meetings, we were accompanied by Fr. Andrés Rodríguez and, in the last one, by Fr. Pablo Pérez (current director of Schoenstatt in Italy). After Mass, we gather for a snack, with homemade sweets, coffee, or tea. It is a precious moment to get to know each other better, to talk casually, to break the ice, and to create that atmosphere of trust and openness that accompanies us during the rest of the meeting.
Then, Sister M. Carol leads us in a formation session: so far, we have addressed topics related to self-education and self-knowledge. A very special moment was when we took the character test together, which helped us discover each other’s personal characteristics, find things we have in common and also differences, always within an atmosphere of respect and openness. It was an intense and profound experience.
What do you consider to be the most important thing about this experience?
Without a doubt, the most important thing for us is sharing our faith in a welcoming environment where we can truly feel at home. The Cor Ecclesiae Shrine is our point of reference: there, the presence of the Mother of God is tangible and helps us to open our hearts. She is our guide, example, and concrete presence: she accompanies us in moments of light and sustains us in moments of darkness. Through her, we draw closer to Jesus, and that is the heart of our experience.
Our group is a space where each one of us is welcomed as she is, where we can build sincere bonds of friendship and deepen our spirituality in a serene and authentic environment. For us, this is much more than a monthly meeting: it is a shared journey of grace, made up of listening, faith, and being there for one another.
Deepening the formative characteristics of personality
At the last meeting, as mentioned, we took a character test used in Schoenstatt’s pedagogical formation, based on a psychological classification of human temperaments (cf. René Le Senne, Treatise on Characterology, Turin, Società Editrice Internazionale, 1960; Giacomo Lorenzini, Lineamenti di caratterologia e tipologia applicate all’educazione, Pedagogical Collection “D. Bosco,” Series I-IV, Turin, 1952), which is used for educational, vocational, or spiritual purposes and is designed to help people get to know themselves better and grow inwardly.
Translation: Maribel Acaron
