We encountered the Blessed Mother in 1996, through some homeschooling friends of ours. However, unbeknownst to us, Schoenstatt really entered our lives a few years before. We were experiencing difficulties in our extended family, and after sharing our concerns with a dear friend, we had been given the Schoenstatt novena to Our Mother Thrice Admirable, without knowing anything of the Schoenstatt Movement. We experienced so many miracles through her intercession, that when we did meet the Schoenstatt Movement through our friends, we were very open and ready to make our covenant of love, with open hearts for the home shrine a year later!

It seems that God’s plans are so perfectly put together. Looking back, we can see how our dedication to the Sacred Heart of Jesus (which we had made with the help of the Schoenstatt Family and the Sisters of Charity) had also prepared a place in our home and in our hearts for all the gifts that God wished to share with our young family. It was as if Jesus said: Here I am, and I bring along my Mother to help you.

As the journey began, and as we were so open to inviting Jesus and his Blessed Mother into our homes and our lives, we truly did not realize the great powerful gifts we were given. But a different world unfolded day by day in our little home and in our hearts. She became more and more present in our daily lives and we now cannot imagine life without her, here in our Cana Home Shrine. We grew up in the Shadow of the Cana Home Shrine, all decisions and all-important family discussions took place here, as well as daily prayers and family routines. Annual liturgical practices were celebrated here. Decorations to match the change of the liturgical seasons were acquired – rituals for Lent, Easter, All Saints, First Communions, Confirmations, May Crowning, Graduations, sending off of children with blessings, important decisions, petitions, thanksgivings, simply daily greetings – all took place in our Cana Home Shrine. Through our MTA’s intercession, her request to our Lord They have no wine we entered into that first miracle each time. She wishes to accompany us in our marriage and family journey and for that we are so ever grateful for our Blessed Mother.

We have seen many miracles in our children, in our lives, and in the lives of those who come to our home and present their hearts to her here. She is real and she has the heart of a very tender loving mother, and she wants to help all her children, all the children of God, so that we may join her forever in his heavenly kingdom. Do not be afraid to experience Our Mother!! What a blessing she is to us all.

With heartfelt love, we thank you Mother dear, with you to guide us we need have no fear, when all around seemed dark and drear and gray, you stood as beacon for a brighter day. Your smile illumined every wakeful hour, you did uphold us with your gentle power. Thanks, a thousand thanks to you, to God shall be now and for all eternity. Amen.

Lisa and Mike Arth, Apostolic Family Federation, Southlake, TX

The name of our home shrine was chosen after much thought. There is, it seems to us, a lack of purity and an absence of belief in God in the world. Faith is a gift – one that the Blessed Mother wants to offer us through her immaculate presence in our home. This gift then becomes, through us, part of our hearts, our home, and our church community. From there it spreads into the whole world.

Our home shrine was dedicated during the Marian Year on October 3, 1987. It is a refuge. Here we experience the presence of the Triune God, the Blessed Mother, Saint Joseph, and the Angels and Saints. In our home shrine we strive to cooperate with God in becoming one with him according to his holy will. The Immaculate Heart of Mary is thereby victorious through us and in us.

In our Victory of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Home Shrine we:

• Encounter the mission, vision, and charisma of our founder, Father Joseph Kentenich.
• Receive the graces of the Original Shrine and the graces connected to the mission of our home shrine.
• Are united with all the daughter and home shrines around the world.
• Gather personally and spiritually with the Schoenstatt Family.
• Welcome other people to come and enjoy the peace and graces that the Blessed Mother gives to her children who open their hearts.
• Evangelize with our devotions, talks, and visits.

Sanjuana and Guadalupe Serrano, Women’s League, Laredo, TX

Greetings from the Confidentia Shrine and a Happy New Year!

A small delegation of Sisters and Federation Couples rang in the New Year 2021 in the Confidentia Shrine. After a time of adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, we thanked for all the blessings received during the old year and placed ourselves anew at the disposal of our covenant partner for what lies ahead in 2021. While we sang ‘O Triune God’ the shrine bell announced the new calendar year.

Meanwhile, the first half of the first month of 2021 is behind us. Some of us may have already received the vaccine or are expecting their turn soon. By definition, a vaccine is a substance used to stimulate a person’s immune system to produce immunity to a specific disease, protecting the person from that disease. While all of us wait, long, and hope to become immune to COVID-19 and its possible mutations soon, as Christians we should also ponder the vaccines that make us immune to the spiritual diseases and battles of our time.

What keeps us spiritually alert and tranquil during the turbulent times we experience in our nation and Church at present? Perhaps it may be a good exercise for all of us to get a new shot with the vaccines Christ entrusted to Catholic Church. These vaccines are above all, the Eucharist and the Sacrament of Reconciliation. In Schoenstatt we treasure the vaccine of our covenant of love and the cosmos of shrines which provide us with spiritual health. Please check this month’s feature on two home shrines.

Praying for you and yours in the Confidentia Shrine,

Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary

We wish you all a very blessed Christmas!

Store Hours for the holidays:

December 24: 10:00am – 12:00pm

December 25: Closed

December 26-27: 10:00am – 12:00pm / 1:oopm – 5:00pm

December 28: Closed

December 29-30: 10:00am – 12:00pm / 1:oopm – 5:00pm

December 31: 10:00am – 12:00pm

January 1: Closed

January 2: Resume regular store hours – Tuesday through Sunday 10:00am – 12:00pm / 1:00pm – 5:00pm

CLICK HERE to download prayers!

Watch live @ https://www.facebook.com/schoenstattshrinerockport

Because of the COVID-19 regulations, we are currently not having the Covenant Holy Mass on the 18th of the month in our Confidentia Shrine.

The Shrine is open everyday from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm. Masks are required in order to come in.

Our store is open on the following days and hours:

Tuesday through Sunday

• 10:30 am – 12:00 noon
• 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Questions?? Please contact us at (361) 729-2019

I was introduced to the Schoenstatt movement in 1976.  I started to attend Women’s League retreats and pilgrimages at Lamar (Confidentia Shrine).  Although I did not know much about the movement, I grew to have a very deep devotion to our Blessed Mother.  This inspired me to organize pilgrim buses to Lamar from Rio Grande City, my hometown where my parents, Blas & Julia Guerra lived.  They helped me organize these pilgrimages along with my brother (Blas, Jr.) and sister (Olga). The local people were very excited to go on pilgrimage to visit the Blessed Mother every year.  At first, we attended the May and October pilgrimages.  Later, we attended the May Pilgrimages every year until 2019. The pilgrims were very disappointed there was no pilgrimage in May 2020 due to the pandemic.

In December 22, 1982 a Wayside shrine was blessed at my parents’ property. It was named the Victory Wayside Shrine. She indeed is victorious over all our needs. I made my Covenant of Love on February 18, 1979. Early on, I purchased a small octagon shaped framed image of the Blessed Mother at the little gift store run by Sister Philomena.  It was blessed and I still have it in my bedroom.  The official home shrine picture was blessed in 1988 and the name of the Home Shrine is Spring of Joy.  She has been there for me through difficult times and joyful times. Like a true mother, she has always been at my side to support me and to continue to educate me. In January 29, 1990 I made by Membership Dedication.  My home shrine has been a real blessing to me, my family and friends.  If anyone has a difficult situation, they call me and I entrust that petition to the Blessed Mother in the Spring of Joy Home Shrine.  We always can count on her. She continues to guide us through this life’s journey. Blessed Mother, thank you for making your shrine in my heart and in my home!

Aida Guerra, Harlingen, Texas

We named our home shrine Bethany. At the time of its dedication we were both working and our children had “a bit much” extra-curricular activities.  We led a life of “busyness” and yearned for quiet and stillness that would help us develop a deep prayer life.  We chose the name Bethany because it was there that Jesus visited the home of his friend Lazarus and his two sisters, Mary and Martha. In this home in Bethany is where Jesus’ “human” nature was most apparent.  We wanted this presence/nearness with Jesus as experienced by the family in Bethany. Our home shrine is the special place of communicating with our Lord — of “visiting” with Him in personal prayer.

Our Bethany home shrine was dedicated on May 24, 1990, Ascension Thursday. We have been richly blessed with the graces of our home shrine. In and from our home shrine, we experience fruitfulness in our apostolic life…”Go therefore and make disciples….”

For thirty years, three generations of our family have received our Mother’s care and education.Every home shrine has its “uniqueness.” Our Bethany home shrine has been domestic church for our grandchildren with Grandma and Papa. Since 2002, we have had Camp Grandma – an annual summer camp for our grandchildren (Papa is facilitator for outdoor activities.)  Our Home Shrine is our campers place to start and end the day with prayer, to learn about our Catholic faith, to enthrone or renew the enthronement of the symbols.  Learning activities for feast days that are celebrated in the Church on the days of camp are included in the program.  It is a place to present flowers to Mary and to offer paper crowns designed by each camper and which are offered to Blessed Mother in the wayside shrine (first years), then in the Cor Unum in Patre Shrine.  This pilgrimage is special – other camp outings are field trips.

Although the summer camp in 2002 started with three days a week for four weeks with either two or three grandchildren per year – fast forward, in 2015-2019 it has been only three days for the entire summer.  Each year camp has had a different theme. The time with Blessed Mother in the home shrine is a constant.

Julian and Pilar Huerta, Apostolic Family Federation, TX

Greetings from the Confidentia Shrine,

We have lit the third candle of the Advent wreath and tomorrow starts the novena for Christmas! Are you ready?? By this we mean not so much the preparation for the festivities but whether or not we are ready for the Gift of Jesus: salvation, healing, peace! When we are ready, we have nothing to worry or be concerned about. Just like Mary and Joseph, we trust in the guidance of Divine Providence. Some of us may spend the coming days leading up to Christmas with the traditional posada or shelter seeking. Instead of visiting other homes, we may accompany Mary and Joseph on their journey by offering them a special place in each of the rooms of our own home. Perhaps more than ever before, our Advent and Christmas will resemble that of the Holy Family.

Uncertainty, isolation, confusion, and rejection were the reality of their voyage from Nazareth to Bethlehem. Likewise, the pandemic restricts us in more than one way and gently or not so gently nudges us to accept our new reality. Would you have ever thought you would find yourself being unable to visit or invite dear ones for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Year’s? Indeed, would you have guessed that a single Sunday (let alone months of Sundays and Holy Days) would ever pass without you in the pew? With coronavirus cases resurging in many parts of the country, access to the sacraments and Mass may be restricted or blocked, and family plans and other seasonal events canceled.

Let us unite with the Holy Family. Let us long for Mary to place Jesus into our hearts anew so they can more intimately live through this chapter of history with us. When we are unable to visit a loved one, they are able. When we are unable to comfort another, they can do it. When we are at home on a Sunday or even Christmas Day, Mary brings her Son to our home. When our minds and hearts are filled with clouds of questions and doubts—let us not be afraid—nothing can drive the Mother and Child away. Nothing can separate us from the saving love of God, who comes again also during the pandemic because He is God with us!

In these challenging times, allow this truth to sink into your heart shrine! Let this be our daily (spiritual) communion prayer:

Jubilantly place the Lord into my soul anew,
so that, like you, I may perfectly resemble him.
Let me be a Christ-bearer for our times,
that they may shine in the brightest radiance of the sun.

United in this longing and with best wishes for a Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year,

Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary