Questions
about the Secular Institute
of Schoenstatt Fathers
1. Who are the Schoenstatt Fathers?
We
are a community of Roman Catholic
priests whose primary mission
is the priestly service of
the International Schoenstatt
Movement. Together with this
movement we work towards the
moral and religious renewal
of society and the mission
of the Church. We have about
220 ordained members in 20
nations worldwide.
2.
Why a "Secular Institute"?
Our
official name is "Secular
Institute of Schoenstatt Fathers".
This is because our place
in the church is that of a
secular institute, a community
dedicated to furthering the
Church's mission in the world
("secular" comes
form the Latin word for "world").
We strive to be an example
of the proper balance between
keeping the duties of faith
and prayer (in our case fulfilling
all the duties of the priesthood)
and being apostolic in a world
so much in need of God.
3.
When were we founded?
While
the Schoenstatt Fathers were
only founded in 1965, our
roots go back to the founding
of the Schoenstatt Movement
on October 18, 1914. On that
day, Father Joseph Kentenich
(1885-1968) and a group of
high school seminarians made
a covenant of love with Mary,
asking her to take possession
of their chapel (now known
as our Schoenstatt Shrine)
to help them become saints
and draw many youthful hearts
to herself. The ensuing years
verified that Mary was indeed
very active in this new place
of grace, drawing Catholics
since then from around the
world.
As
a secular institute, Rome
approved our community as
an institute of pontifical
right on June 24, 1988. We
also have the right of incardination,
i.e. our ordained members
are incardinated directly
into the community instead
of a diocese.
4.
What does "Schoenstatt"
mean?
Schoenstatt,
a German word for "beautiful
place", is the name of
the valley in Germany where
the Original Schoenstatt Shrine
is located. It is very near
the Rhine River at Koblenz
(1 hour south of Cologne).
It
has also become the name of
the international movement
associated with the shrine.
There are currently over 140
replicas of the Original Shrine
around the world. The movement
involves lay people, priests,
and religious, with special
branches for boys and girls
youth and for the sick. It
is the task of the Schoenstatt
Fathers to help coordinate
and inspire these many parts
which share a common spirituality.
5.
What is our charism?
Our
charism as a community might
be summed up with the words:
love of Mary, love of the
Church, love of the mission
of Christ.
a.
Love of Mary. We love the
Blessed Mother. She is at
the heart of our spirituality
as the "Mother Thrice
Admirable, Queen and Victress
of Schoenstatt" or "MTA"
for short. Our spirituality
is anchored in the form of
Marian consecration particular
to Schoenstatt, namely a generous
and mutual covenant of love
with the MTA in the Shrine.
b. Love of the Church. From
our founder, Father Kentenich,
we have a strong love for
the Church. He devoted himself
untiringly to the mission
of the Church in our times.
We for our part make the inscription
on his tomb our mission: Dilexit
Ecclesiam --- He loved the
Church.
c. Love of the Mission of
Christ. As sharers in the
one priesthood of Christ,
we are especially bound to
Our Lord and Savior. This
does not only express itself
in love for the Eucharist
(like our founder, we cherish
the daily celebration of the
Mass) and our striving for
sanctity, but also in our
desire to share Christ's mission
of proclaiming his Father.
This
proclamation takes special
form in our understanding
of the priesthood as a "priestly
fatherhood" in the service
of Christ and the Church.
We strive to find God the
Father's voice in our times
and in our lives and to live
a "practical faith in
Divine Providence". This
demands of us a strong spirit
of prayer and active listening
to what God might be trying
to tell us through the events
of everyday life.
6.
What is our apostolate?
Around
the world, our apostolate
includes parish work, missions,
hospitals, and schools. But
our main task is always the
priestly inspiration and guidance
of the Schoenstatt Movement.
Because of this, we center
our work around our Schoenstatt
Shrines and centers: leading
retreats, doing youth work,
guiding the individuals and
branch communities of the
Schoenstatt Movement.
7.
What is our organizational
structure?
Our
community has a traditional
provincial structure, with
the General Superior and his
council stationed in Schoenstatt,
Germany. A unique feature
of our internal organization
is the "courses".
Candidates who go through
the same novitiate together
form a permanent course. Here
members find an additional
form of support and inspiration
as they go through their formation
and the many phases of priestly
ministry.
8.
How does one join the Schoenstatt
Fathers?
To
join the Schoenstatt Fathers,
a young man begins by taking
up contact with a member of
the community. Because of
the importance of the Schoenstatt
Movement to our mission, we
normally encourage potential
candidates to become more
familiar with the Schoenstatt
Movement and to read about
its history and spirituality.
With time, a vocation to our
community will need to grow
into the covenant of love
with Mary and a love for the
Schoenstatt Shrine. After
a time of discernment (usually
guided by on of the Fathers),
one can apply for acceptance
as a postulant. If accepted,
one normally spends a time
of three months in the U.S.
in immediate contact with
one of our houses before going
to South America to learn
Spanish and prepare for the
novitiate.
Qualifications
for entry include: A sound
personality, good health (physical,
emotional, psychological),
ability to study on the university
level, and an active spiritual
life. The community normally
requires two complete years
of university coursework in
philosophy, Greek, and Latin
is helpful. The normal age
limits for acceptance are
20 to 27 years of age.
9.
What is our course of studies
and formation?
Because
of the small size of our U.S.
community, all studies and
formation are presently conducted
in South America and in the
Spanish language. This not
only directly benefits the
later pastoral work (knowing
Spanish and Latin American
culture), but also helps one
grow into the larger international
community. Friendships are
established and habits of
community life are learned
which are crucial for one's
later priesthood.
The
course of studies begins with
the 2-year novitiate near
Asuncion, Paraguay. This is
followed by a 5 or 6 year
course of philosophy and theology
studies in Santiago, Chile.
This time of studies is interrupted
after about three years for
a year of practical pastoral
experience in the U.S. (living
in the community here), a
3-month time of further formation
called a tertianship, and
a year in original Schoenstatt,
Germany to become more familiar
with German and the works
of Father Kentenich.
Upon
completion of all studies
(from the beginning of novitiate
about 9-10 years), one is
ordained a deacon and returns
to the U.S. Ordination to
the priesthood follows. Following
the wisdom of our founder,
ordination to the priesthood
does not normally take place
before one's 30th birthday.
10.
What does the community look
like in the U.S.?
Our
Schoenstatt Fathers community
in the United States is quite
small. At present, we have
6 priests in the U.S. and
2 seminarians (studying in
South America). We have been
blessed with 3 ordinations
in the 1990s and are grateful
for our blessings. We maintain
two community houses: our
national headquarters in Waukesha,
Wisconsin (near Milwaukee)
and a further center in Corpus
Christi, Texas. Here we maintain
our community life in the
midst of the demands of apostolate;
our work across the U.S. is
maintained form these centers.
For
further information, contact:
Schoenstatt
Fathers
W284 N746 Cherry Lane
Waukesha, WI 53188
Phone 262-548-9061
Fax 262-548-9593
Schoenstatt
Fathers
4343 Gaines St.
Corpus Christi, TX 78412
Phone 361-992-9841
