Thursday, November 1, 2007

Lady Of Schoenstatt

           

I do not know why there are so many different versions of the Virgin Mary. Many people have had visions of her. I suppose the artwork is the results of their visions.

All I know is that the picture that I am most drawn to is Our Lady of Schoenstatt. When I was a teenager, I would spend weekend retreats during the Easter holidays at Lamar, Texas, and week retreats during the summer. The Schoenstatt movement celebrates the purity of Mary. People who make a covenant with her consecrate themselves to be pure of body and of soul.

I think it is kind of sad to discover the Schoenstatt mother after I had already been molested and raped as a child. What my mother should have taught me was that it was not ok for my relatives to do those things to me. When I was growing up, a girl was supposed to be a virgin on her wedding night. It made me sad that I never had that option.

If you look at the pictures of the Schoenstatt shrines all over the world, all of the shrines are the same, but this is an actual picture from the shrine in Lamar. The words around the picture and also embroidered on the mantle on the altar are in German. They mean "Nothing without you. Nothing without us." The picture is in an octagon frame. Above the picture is a crown and the eye of God. On the ceiling is a white dove to represent the Holy Spirit. On the altar is a cross with Mary standing beside Jesus. To the left of the altar is a statue of St. Michael. The shrine is very simple and very small.

At one of the retreats, I made a replica of the shrine. If you looked into the door, you would see the altar, the wooden pews, and my friend, Veronica kneeling inside the shrine. Outside the shrine, I added a tree and flowers and actual gravel from the site. I spent a lot of my spare time perfecting it. I don't remember what the prize was, but I won first place!

That was the summer that we had a very strict nun. She caught us having a pillow fight in the Bishop house. When she came into the room, you could have heard a pin drop, but then she pulled out a pillow and joined in the fun! Boy, were we surprised!

This is a stamp of Father Kentenich. I believe he was the founder of the Schoenstatt movement. He died in 1985 and a life-sized statue of him is at the front of the shrine with benches where you can go and sit.

Schoenstatt means "a beautiful place" and it is! Whether you are inside the shrine or among the flowers outside the shrine, gazing at the beautiful view of the sea, it is one of my favorites place to be. 

          

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

When I was a girl,My mother was realy friendly with a devout Catholic.My mother always had a picture and a statue of Mary in our home.It was always kept in her bedroom.I now have that picture here in my possesion.My elder sister has the statue.My mother sent money to little children of the poor Navena all her life and My elder sister continues to do so now we have lost our Mother.I love the pictures of Mary wherever they be,This was my Mothers name and I have a sister Mary too.My partner always tells me the nuns at his school were very strict so much so they were cruel.It actually turned him against religion to some degree.Your shrine replica sounds delightful.Have a lovely day .Thankyou for spending so much time with all these posts.I have realy enjoyed reading them.Take Care God Bless Kath
astoriasand http://journals.aol.co.uk/astoriasand/MYSIMPLERHYMES

Anonymous said...

A pillow fight with a Nun....how fun.....June:)