With a festive Pontifical Mass, a formal ceremony, and an afternoon of fellowship, the Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary celebrated the 100th anniversary of their foundation on October 3. Sisters from various countries, members of the international Schoenstatt Family, representatives of the Church and society, as well as relatives and friends, gathered on Schoenstatt Mountain to look back together on the history of the community and to turn their attention toward its future.
Festive Mass with Cardinal Koch
The anniversary day began with an international Pontifical Mass in the Pilgrim Church. The principal celebrant was Cardinal Kurt Koch from Rome. Concelebrating with him were, among others, Archbishop Vincent Dollmann of Cambrai (France), Bishop Jan Vokál of Hradec Králové (Czech Republic), Bishop Krzysztof Zadarko of Koszalin (Poland), Bishop Josef Clemens, Bishop Ulrich Neymeyr, Bishop Wolfgang Ipolt, Bishop Michael Gerber, as well as Auxiliary Bishops Thomas-Maria Renz and Jörg Michael Peters. Also among the concelebrants were Fr. Alexandre Awi Mello, Chairman of the General Presidium of the International Schoenstatt Work, Fr. Zenon Hanas, Superior General of the Pallottines, and Dr. Bernd Biberger, Director General of the Secular Institute of the Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary.
At the beginning of the Mass, ten Sisters from different countries and cultures brought a light to the image of the Thrice Admirable Mother, Queen and Victress of Schoenstatt. The light symbolized gratitude for the first hundred years and trust that Mary will continue to guide the community on its journey into the future.
The reading from the Letter to the Ephesians and the Gospel account of Mary’s visit to Elizabeth provided the biblical framework for Cardinal Koch’s homily.
“Like Mary and with Mary, Bringing Christ to the People”
In his homily, Cardinal Koch connected a grateful look back with a hopeful outlook toward the future. The community, founded in 1926 by Father Josef Kentenich together with 18 women, had already experienced strong growth just a few years later. The anniversary therefore offered an opportunity to gratefully place the past hundred years into the hands of God. At the same time, Koch referred to the anniversary motto, “Mary – Light of Our Hope,” and to Mary as the “new Eve,” who through her faith points the way to new life.
Starting from the Gospel account of Mary’s visit to Elizabeth, the Cardinal highlighted joy as a fruit of grace. Mary does not keep for herself what she has received from God. She sets out on her journey and brings Christ to other people. Koch particularly emphasized that Mary “hastened” to Elizabeth. From this, he drew the thought that God’s concerns should have priority for Christians.
He saw this as part of the particular mission of the Sisters of Mary. Mary carries Christ to people—and from the very beginning, Father Kentenich saw precisely this as an assignment entrusted to the Sisters: to bring Christ to people and lead them closer to him. This task has lost none of its relevance after a hundred years. What matters is not simply passing on the content of the faith, but living a credible Christian life that bears witness from a personal friendship with Christ.
Koch also recalled that the community today faces challenges different from those of its early years. Fewer vocations and changes in the Church and society are part of the present situation. Precisely in this lies an invitation to place renewed trust in the grace of God. His reflection on the Sisters of Mary concluded with gratitude for their witness over the past hundred years and for their service in the present and the future.
Festive Ceremony: 100 Years – Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow
After a break with coffee and refreshments, the formal ceremony began at 11:45 a.m. under the title “100 Years of the Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary – Yesterday. Today. Tomorrow.” Among the guests of honor, alongside the bishops, were State Minister Achim Schwickert (Rhineland-Palatinate), representatives of the district and the town of Vallendar, other representatives from politics and business, and prominent figures from Church life. Pallottines, members of the General and Regional Presidiums of the Schoenstatt Work, and other guests also took part.
Following greetings from the Superior General and the Director General, an international presentation featuring a film, interviews, contemporary witnesses, and music offered insights into the history of the community. The keynote address was given by Superior General Sr. M. Joanna Buckley.
A series of greetings and addresses followed.
Rhineland-Palatinate Interior Minister Achim Schwickert opened the round of addresses. He paid tribute to those who have consciously chosen a life with God, a life in community, and a life dedicated to serving others.
Since their foundation, the Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary have placed their trust in Mary’s intercession and guidance. Schwickert described this as an attitude that opens the way to freedom, enabling people to follow their path with God.
In his words of greeting, Fr. Zenon Hanas, Superior General of the Pallottines, highlighted the close spiritual and historical bond between the two communities. In his encounters with Pallottine communities on different continents, he said, he repeatedly meets Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary. Their shared spiritual roots have led to apostolic works of the two communities often developing in close proximity to one another.
Hanas also took up the anniversary motto, “Mary – Light of Our Hope.” He was particularly impressed by the video series “Faces of Hope.” The Sisters portrayed in it were, for him, concrete “faces” of this light. For the future, he expressed the hope that the community would continue to be a light of hope for people searching for faith in the 21st century, and he connected this with a wish for new vocations.
Fr. Alexandre Awi Mello, Chairman of the General Presidium of the International Schoenstatt Movement, also offered congratulations on behalf of the worldwide Schoenstatt Family and the Schoenstatt Fathers. He highlighted the Sisters of Mary’s diverse presence—from shrines and houses to prayer and social and apostolic commitment. At the same time, he emphasized the close bond between the two communities and expressed gratitude for their shared history and cooperation.
An Afternoon of Encounter
After the formal ceremony, guests were invited to a shared lunch and coffee. Hospitality was offered in several Schoenstatt houses—the Pilgrim House, Marienland, the Motherhouse, and the Formation House. In this way, the guests of the celebration spread out across the Mountain and also had the opportunity to become acquainted with various houses and places belonging to the community.
From 2:30 to 6 p.m., the “Festival of Fellowship around the Motherhouse” was then held. The Sisters of Mary opened their houses and offered numerous opportunities to meet and talk with one another. At “A Word with the Sisters of Mary,” visitors could seek out personal encounters at conversation stations. At the “Café Plus,” at the anniversary exhibition in the Motherhouse, and during tours of the Novitiate House, Formation House, and Adoration House, the history and present-day life of the community could be experienced firsthand.
The churches and shrines were also open. Children were offered creative and active activities with the Sisters of Mary, while the anniversary mile offered additional stations to explore. In the Adoration Church, the series “A Breathing Space – Words, Sounds, Silence” invited people to moments of quiet; on the open-air stage, music from different countries could be heard.
The afternoon also featured several special opportunities for conversation and information: contemporary witnesses shared personal memories from the history of the community, the new documentary “From Within” was shown, and panel discussions explored the social work of the Sisters of Mary as well as their work at Schoenstatt shrines around the world. Another program item focused on the life and journey of Sr. M. Emilie.
In this way, the second day of the anniversary celebrations became more than simply a look back at 100 years of history. The open fellowship of the afternoon made visible the many and varied relationships the Sisters of Mary have developed with people, places, and fields of service—and gave the anniversary a personal and international face.
Photos: Sr. Francine-Marie Cooper