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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

Dear friends and family in the Covenant of Love,

We are all living an unprecedented Lenten season. I wanted to take the opportunity to connect with you all, and to join my prayers with yours.

Early last week, Fr. Mark decided to quarantine our older Fathers in our Waukesha house to reduce the risk of their exposure to COVID-19. I was asked to quarantine with them and help out with the practical details around the house. It’s truly been a gift to spend this last week and a half together with some of the founding members of our Community!

The symbol of Lent is the desert, the place of Jesus’ temptation. As the last step of his journey before beginning his public ministry, Jesus’ time in the desert is often seen as one of the greatest hardships in his Earthly life—where he had to definitively put God before all else. Lent, for us, is also a time of preparation for the most sacred of feasts in the Church’s liturgical year: the suffering, death and Resurrection of Christ. I would like to offer another interpretation of the Lenten time in the desert: a honeymoon.

For the ancient Israelites, it was common for newlyweds to set off into the desert with their supplies for some time alone with their new spouse. While the desert has often been a sign of barrenness and dryness, the prophet Hosea uses this image to illustrate how God plans to win back His people from idolatry:

But look, I am going to seduce her and lead her into the desert and speak to her heart. There I shall give her back her vineyards, and make the Vale of Achor a gateway of hope. There she will respond as when she was young, as on the day when she came up from Egypt.

Hos 2:16-17

In this passage, God—who has incessantly tried to sway Israel to remain in communion with Him—reveals his plan for the desert from the beginning. The desert is the place where his people are with him alone, a time to be enchanted by the omnipresence of the all-powerful and loving God.

Likewise, in Lent we fast from things that distract us from the essential parts of life: our life in Christ, our family and friends.

As I prepare my heart for the upcoming priestly ordination, it’s interesting that Providence has given me this opportunity for inner growth. I would’ve imagined these last months before ordination as practicing for homilies, and outward pastoral work, but I’m reminded that God always knows and provides what we most need. One of the greatest gifts of this time has been to remember the initial meaning of being a Deacon: to serve the Christian community in the most practical everyday tasks like the first deacons who were appointed to attend to the widows at the community meals (Acts 6:2).

Above all, I have gained a renewed thankfulness for the opportunity to be present for the daily celebration of the Eucharist. I have heard from so many Christians this past week who have missed being able to attend mass. Please know that you all are very present in our daily celebration!

We continue united in prayer for all those most affected by the Coronavirus, especially those who are anxious and alone in this time, and I also count on your prayers for the upcoming ordination on June 6.

In Christ with Mary,

D. Jeff

Merry Christmas everyone!

As a Schoenstatt Father community in the USA, we have had a number of important things happen in these last months and we wanted to share with you some of these joys, challenges and changes.

Topping the list of our joys, was the news in December that our five novices—Carlos Licona, Rodrigo Fernandez, Hector Islas, Christopher Boardman and Josh Parker—were officially accepted into our Schoenstatt Fathers’ community. After years of preparing for this moment, this was a great joy for us. In February 2019 they will move to Chile where they begin their philosophy and theology studies.

Another great joy was the completion of our community’s home in Austin, Texas on Addie Roy Road just down the street from the Bethlehem, Cradle of Sanctity shrine. It was wonderful to have the house and chapel blessed by Austin’s Bishop Joe Vasquez in October. Thank you to all who have made this possible with your prayers, concern and financial support.

2018 has had its share of challenges too. Some of our fathers have been dealing with health issues and other difficulties. One of these health related matters was the burn-out symptoms that made transferring Fr. Patricio Rodriguez back to our province house in Chile necessary. We miss his joy and enthusiasm, and we hope that he can make a visit to Austin in spring to say goodbye.

Also there have been plentiful changes. After twelve years in Wisconsin, Fr. Francisco Rojas was transferred to Austin, to work with the Schoenstatt Movement in San Antonio. Fr. Hector Vega and Fr. Christian Christensen moved to the new Addie Roy Road house, where Fr. Hector became the interim rector of the shrine. Fr. Raimundo Costa has taken over the Movement work in Miami, as has Fr. Pushpa Antonysamy in Washington, DC. Fr. Jesus Ferras is in Miami doing some postgraduate studies. And finally, I have taken on the role of interim Delegate Superior the Schoenstatt Fathers in the USA. Lots to keep track of!

So, at the conclusion of this year, in the name of the Schoenstatt Fathers in the USA, I want to express our sincerest gratitude to all of you for your prayers and concern during 2018.May the Christ Child bring you and your loved ones many graces and joys throughout 2019.

In Jesus and Mary,