Dear Schoenstatt Family and friends,
On July 2, 2020, an article concerning our founder Father Joseph Kentenich was posted in the German press. The article deals with Vatican documents recently made available for scholarly use from around 1950, which included accusations of alleged abuse by Father Kentenich. The president of Schoenstatt’s General Presidium responded, as did the Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary, to clarify certain points and make themselves available for dialogue. For more information, please read the documents linked below.
In short, these accusations were previously investigated by Church authorities and eventually dismissed.
As the Schoenstatt Fathers in the United States and members of the Schoenstatt Family, we take this situation seriously. We are grateful that, on July 7, 2020, the Diocese of Trier established a new historical commission to investigate these issues. The Schoenstatt Fathers in the United States are ready to cooperate in this process.
Feel free to contact us with your questions or concerns. We trust that Divine Providence will use these challenges to help us find greater clarity in Father Kentenich’s history and bring a deeper peace to our Schoenstatt Family.
United in the Shrine,
Father Mark J. Niehaus
Delegate Superior of the Schoenstatt Fathers, USA
Original article from Sandro Magister, July 2, 2020
Statement by Schoenstatt’s General Presidium, July 2, 2020
Statement by the Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary, July 4, 2020
Statement from Diocese of Trier on new historical commission, July 7, 2020