Schoenstatt: A place, a movement, a spirituality

Wayside shrines dedicated 

to Blessed Mother Mary

WESLACO — Sometimes we miss what stands in our own backyard. I have lived in the Rio Grande Valley all my life, and up until this past May had never visited any of the wayside shrines dedicated to Our Lady of Schoenstatt.

Schoenstatt, a German word that means a beautiful place, is a Marian movement started in 1914 by Father Joseph Kentenich in the Rhine region of west-central Germany.

“The Movement emphasizes a strong devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, as we uphold her as a perfect example of love and purity,” said Father Carlos Zuniga, pastor at St. Pius X Church in Weslaco.

“Father Kentenich encouraged those devoted to Schoenstatt to invite the Blessed Mother; hence, her divine Son, Jesus Christ, into the home by establishing a spiritual Covenant of Love with her. It encourages its members to have the faith and purity of children, and to think of Mary as their mother,” he added.

Carlos Cantu, of La Feria, who has been devoted to the movement for more than 50 years, explained the different types of Schoenstatt shrines. The original is located in Germany and replicas, referred to as daughter shrines, number more than 200 throughout the world.

Wayside shrines are smaller and vary from location to location. Additionally, some families set up home shrines.

My mother-in-law, who has a special devotion to Our Lady of Schoenstatt, gave me a small framed image some time ago. In May, as I attempted to post a different picture each day of Our Blessed Mother Mary on my social media sites, I found an unexpected surprise. On the same day I posted a photo of Our Lady of Schoenstatt, I came across the newest wayside shrine dedicated in her honor at St. Pius X Church in Weslaco.

Inspired, I set off to visit each one. There are a total of six in our diocese. I was inspired as well to restart our Close to Home Pilgrimages series in The Valley Catholic.

What strikes me about each of the wayside shrines I visited – the simple beauty. Nothing fancy, nothing large, no sign announcing the location. But each chapel offers a peaceful space for prayer. A small chapel, with three walls measuring not more than five feet by six feet, open always for prayer. No key needed. You won’t find a door. You won’t even find a sign announcing the location.

Yellow roses in Weslaco; a spring bouquet in La Feria; a white and yellow silk arrangement in Santa Rosa next to a red rose and baby’s breath. Someone always places fresh flowers.

Inside on the center wall, an image of the Virgin Mary under the title of Mother Thrice Admirable. The image is from a painting by the Italian artist Luigi Crosio.

You can pray anywhere. We know this. Wayside shrines offer another place to pray. They can even serve as a reminder or a quiet escape. By visiting a wayside shrine, you stop what you are doing and make time to visit with our Blessed Mother, away from distractions and noise of the day. Or maybe while you are driving or in the area, you are moved to stop to say hello to our Mother Mary and pray with her awhile.

Two Schoenstatt sisters, Sister M. Margret Gruending and Sister M. Imma Paul, who arrived in La Feria in 1959, started promoting the devotion shortly after they came to work at St Francis Xavier Church in La Feria. Credited for the birth of the Schoenstatt Movement in the Rio Grande Valley, the sisters recruited members in the community to help build the first wayside shrine for the Mother Thrice Admirable. It was dedicated on Oct. 18, 1964 at St. Francis Xavier Church in La Feria. On the 25th anniversary in 1989, members of the local movement named it “The wayside shrine of loyalty.”

La Feria now has two wayside shrines. The first remains at the site near the old church, and a second was built on the grounds of the new church. Other shrines are located on the grounds of St. Mary Church in Santa Rosa, built in 1966; San Juan Diego Church in McAllen, built in 2010; and the newest one at St. Pius X Church in Weslaco, built in 2014. Another wayside shrine resides in Rio Grande City, on property owned by the Blas Guerra family.

Members of the Schoenstatt Movement selected the Feast of the Queenship of Mary on Aug. 22 as a day to honor the Blessed Mother Mary, Queen of Schoenstatt. This year’s Annual Queenship of Mary Celebration with Bishop Daniel E. Flores begins at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 22, at St. Mary Catholic Church, 101 San Antonio Ave., Santa Rosa. The feast day, established by Pope Pius XII, celebrates Mary as the queen of heaven and earth.

“In Schoenstatt, we deepen our relationship to God through what we call a covenant of love with the Blessed Mother,” Cantu shared. Adding, “Sometimes it appears like the Blessed Mother is the center. She is not the center but is at the center always pulling us, always wanting us to follow the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.”

(Published in August 2017 edition of The Valley Catholic)

Learning together and the art of accompaniment

We learn from one another. We are always learning. God did not want us to be know-it-alls working independent of each other. He wanted us to work together, to serve one another. As St. Catherine of Siena shared, God wants us to need one another.

We read in her Dialogue, a collection of her spiritual writings, “I have distributed them all (gifts and graces) in such a way that no one has all of them. Thus have I given you reason — necessity, in fact — to practice mutual charity. … I wanted to make you dependent on one another so that each of you would be my minister, dispensing the graces and gifts you have received from me.”

Understanding “we do not evangelize alone or in a vacuum; we need each other,” the bishops of the United State convened a historical gathering in July, the Convocation of Catholic Leaders: The Joy of the Gospel in America.  More than 3,500 people (bishops, priests, religious and lay leaders) gathered in Orlando, Fla., the first four days in July to “reflect, pray and discern together … to renew our baptismal commitment to be missionary disciples …” Our goal – focus on how to reach all the peripheries and share the Joy of the Gospel.

While there is certainly much to unpack and process from the talks and conversations that took place, I return with hope, energized for the journey ahead. In the words of Archbishop Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States, who spoke at the closing Mass, “The spirit is alive in the Church in the United States.”

Among my pages of notes, five points stand out in regard to what is needed from each of us – 1. a renewal of joy; 2. to grow our own faith; 3. to go out in a spirit of mission; 4. to be present and accompany others; 5. to go out to the peripheries. 

Our starting point begins with joy, as it is Pope Francis’ Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel), which brought us together. “We, your pastors, believe with Pope Francis, that a renewal of joy is essential for a deepening Catholic vitality and confidence at this moment,” said Cardinal Timothy Dolan, archbishop of New York, during his homily at the convocation opening Mass. He quoted philosopher Leon Bloy, who said, “Joy is the infallible sign of God’s presence.”

How do we find joy? Cardinal Dolan shared a story of St. Teresa of Calcutta who said you find joy by looking at the word; each letter outlines our priorities: 1. J, Jesus; 2. O, Others; and 3. Y, Yourself. 

During the convocation, Bishop Frank J. Caggiano of Bridgeport emphasized the importance of our interior lives and a radical response. He said it begins as well with humility. Humility, he said, “is needed amongst all of us so that we can come together as a family and create a home.” He asked a telling question, “How many times does our own selfishness and ego get in the way of missionary discipleship?”

I think this question reminds us of our role as lifelong learners. The understanding that we are always learning helps keep our egos in check before they explode into arrogance. No matter how many years I have in the communications field, I find there is always something more to learn. In July, I signed up for another writing class. Even though I write every day, I realize there is so much more to learn. It also provides an opportunity to get feedback from my colleagues as we learn from one another.

I am thankful as well for the grace of this column space and for each of you who read what I share each month. I don’t come before you as an expert, but as a humble servant putting ideas on the page, learning, sharing, wanting to learn more.

As we share, we give witness. It is a part of going out, a spirit of mission. As noted in the convocation Participant Guidebook and Journal, “Each of us is called to witness Christ in the world.”

Pope Francis in Evangelii Gaudium, tells us we “can make present the fragrance of Christ’s closeness and his personal gaze.” To do this, the Holy Father notes, “The Church will have to initiate everyone – priests, religious and laity – into this ‘art of accompaniment’ which teaches us to remove our sandals before the sacred ground of the other (cf. Ex 3:5). The pace of this accompaniment must be steady and reassuring, reflecting our closeness and our compassionate gaze which also heals, liberates and encourages growth in the Christian life.” (EG 169)

The “Art of Accompaniment” certainly reminds us that we walk with one another. We focus on the other, our neighbors near and far. “As we journey together,” said Cardinal Donald Wuerl, archbishop of Washington, “may we each grow closer to the Lord.”

We have much work ahead of us. As Archbishop Pierre, said before we departed the convocation, “Our mission is beginning. It is always beginning.” And in the words he quoted from a child, “¡Vamos gente; muevanse para Jesus!” 

As a recap, I leave your with a string of hashtags, as I like how they can serve as quick summary – #joy #service #other #humility #accompaniment #witness #missionarydisciple #lifelonglearner.

(Originally published in August 2017 edition of The Valley Catholic newspaper)