Mother Thrice Admirable, Queen and Victorious Lady of Schoenstatt (I)

The International Apostolic Schoenstatt Movement is counted among the oldest of the movements and new communities of the Catholic Church. It was founded by Father Joseph Kentenich (1885-1968). Its name is derived from the place where Schoenstatt began, a neighborhood of the city of Vallendar, Germany. The foundation was started on October 18, 1914 - in the "original shrine" - a modest chapel dedicated to the Blessed Mother. Schoenstatt interprets that foundation as a "Covenant of Love" according to the biblical model of God's covenant with man. The Blessed Mother, the woman who is close to God and all people, plays a central part in that Covenant of Love. Through that covenant in which the mutual responsibilities of the covenant partners are very important, the Blessed Mother is petitioned to work especially in Schoenstatt as Mother and Educator of Christians, that she may lead them to a profound and vital love for God and man, which is capable of projecting itself into daily life. Today, Schoenstatt is the international and spiritual center of the Schoenstatt Movement, present in more than 90 countries. Throughout the world there are more than 175 Schoenstatt Centers with their respective "Schoenstatt Shrine" which are replicas of the original shrine.