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Father
Dieter's visit Memorial Day weekend was a resounding success. While
in the New Orleans area, he stayed at the rectory of St. Catherine of
Siena in Metairie. Thank you, Monsignor Roger Swenson, for your
hospitality!
BATON ROUGE
(DENHAM SPRINGS) - Friday, 5/27/2005
Our visit to
the Baton Rouge area went beautifully. Father's flight into New
Orleans was cancelled and he had to take a later flight. The result
was that we (Fr. Dieter, Cathy Johnson, John & Kathy Strickland)
arrived a little later than planned. Since Fr. Dieter had not eaten
all day, a stop at Middendorf's for catfish was a necessity! It was
gratifying to see the enthusiasm that exists in the area with our
Schoenstatt sisters and brothers. We so enjoyed meeting them and hope
to see them again next year. Fr. Dieter spoke on the Rosary
Campaign and there was a lively discussion with many questions.
District Coordinator Mary Lynn Womach made all the arrangements. |
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Denham Springs group |
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Mary
Lynn Womach, Fr. Dieter, Cathy Johnson |
METAIRIE -
Saturday, May 28, 2005
Our retreat day was very
informative, prayerful, and challenging.
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The day began with a
procession into the church with everyone carrying a stem of flowers.
These were placed in one of two vases on the altar. Our pictures and
shrines were placed on the altar steps for the crowning that
immediately followed. The rosary was prayed and so our retreat began
by placing ourselves into the heart of our MTA. |
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In one of his talks, he told about his visit to the little church of
______ where St. Francis thought the Lord was asking him to rebuild
this church. A much larger church had been built around and over it.
Cathy brought along two pictures she got off the Internet and
printed. One showed our late Pope, John Paul II, praying in the
shrine he consecrated in Poland. The other showed our new Pope, then
Cardinal Ratzinger, saying Mass in the shrine of the Sisters of Mary
in Rome. Fr. Dieter worked these two pictures into his talk by
explaining that no Schoenstatt shrine had a larger church built to
enclose it, but instead, these small shrines went out into the world
and multiplied! |
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Deacon Doug Strahan |
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Deacon Dough Strahan gave his
testimony. He also referred to the article about him in the latest
issue of the Schoenstatt newsletter and told us that he was waiting
for a phone call from Rome beatifying him! Thanks for the humor,
Doug. A sharing session followed Deacon Doug's testimony
by three members from Mississippi. Two members shared a healing that
occurred and the third testified how our MTA worked in her family.
Because of the lateness of the morning, we had to break for lunch.
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Angela Styczinski, Diana Holder, |
After lunch, four
members sealed their Covenant of Love and coordinators were recommissioned.
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Sealing their Covenant of Love: Nancy Montelepre, Diana Holder,
Margaret Blackwell, and Angela Styczinski |
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Readers for Covenant of Love: ___________ and Peggy Gisburne |
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Cathy Johnson
gave a talk on living Schoenstatt. Starting with practical ways of
discovering Schoenstatt as a movement, not a devotion, she gave
witness to how she came to know Fr. Kentenich in a deeply spiritual
way and through that, becoming more deeply aware of the meaning and
spirituality of Schoenstatt. While speaking about her trip to Brazil
as a U.S. delegate to Brazil for the 100th Centennial Celebration of
the birth of founder John Pozzobon, she challenged each member present
to live the Schoenstatt graces: being at home, inner transformation,
and apostolate. She wanted everyone to give the same honor, respect,
and love that belongs to the Blessed mother that she experienced in
Chile.
Sr. Jessica
had sent down a suitcase full of books to sell and these were eagerly
snatched up by attendees. So quickly did these books sell that Cathy
didn't even have a chance to buy any!! This just shows the hunger of
our members to know more about and experience Schoenstatt!! See
our book list to order from Sr. Jessica!! |
MEETING WITH
HISPANIC COMMUNITY - Sunday, May 29, 2005
| Fr. Dieter, Cathy, John and
Kathy Strickland met with people interested or already members of
Schoenstatt at the home of Alicia Knight. Alicia and her sister,
Gina, have been involved with SRC in Equador since they were teenagers
and were very excited to have the opportunity of having
Spanish-speaking Fr. Dieter come and speak to them. |
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Alicia Knight, Fr.
Dieter, Gina Scavallo |
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Hispanic Group |
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SLIDELL -
Sunday, May 29, 2005
| From Alicia's home, it was on
to Slidell for lunch with District Coordinator Marlene Gonzalzles.
Because of the rain, we did not process outside the church for the
annual Corpus Christi procession. Instead an indoor procession was
held and it was quite heavily attended. The group joined other
Schoenstatt members and processed with our beautiful Schoenstatt
banner. The group went back to Marlene's home where everyone enjoyed
dessert and did some sharing while the rain continued its dance (fancy
word for raining cats and dogs!!). When the time came to leave, all
the streets were flooded. Father Dieter was so concerned
about our safety that he led us in the Schoenstatt Exorcism prayer
until we were safely on I-10 and on our way back to Metairie (where
not a drop of rain fell!). |
MONDAY
- May 30, 2005
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Father Dieter
visited St. Louis Cathedral, the D-Day Museum (Memorial Day, after
all!), and St. Mary Assumption Church where the museum for Blessed
Seelos is located. After lunch with Father Miles, he visited the
shrine of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, the patroness of New Orleans.
The church was locked, but persistence won out. A side door was found
to be unlocked! After going through the sacristy, we met a Sister who
had to go into the church to check on something and, by "chance,"
forgot to lock the door! She graciously allowed us to stay and look
around. Our Mother takes care of her children, doesn't she?
MEETING
WITH FATHER RICHARD MILES
Later in the
afternoon, Father Dieter and Cathy Johnson met with Father Richard
Miles, pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help for lunch. After lunch,
we proceeded to the church for a short tour and to look at the
possible sites for the wayside shrine that will eventually be built
there. Current plans are to have this built by Spring 2006, when Fr.
Dieter will bless the shrine and give a series of talks over the next
three days.
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Fr. Dieter Haas and Fr.
Richard Miles |
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Site of future wayside
shrine |
SOCIAL WITH PRIESTS
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Msgr. Roger
Swenson, pastor of St. Catherine of Siena, invited Father Dieter to
the rectory for a little social prior to his departure to the West
Bank. It was an opportunity to meet a few priests in the area and at
least acquaint them with the name of "Schoenstatt."
WEST BANK
Monday evening
found Father Dieter and Cathy Johnson at St. Joseph's on the West
Bank. Approximately 80 members were in attendance for the annual Mass & social. Before Mass, a rosary and crowning
were held. After Mass, we all gathered for refreshments and
socializing. District Coordinator Sally Fradella planned
this popular event.
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Fr. Dieter praying the
rosary |
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Recommissioning of
coordinators |
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