History and development
History of the Mothers’ Federation and its development up to the Confederation
(Excerpt from the presentation of Sr. M. Luciane Machens., September 8, 2022, and Matilde Di Battista for her territory, Argentina, in the year 2021)
Beginning in 1920, women were admitted to the Movement, initially only as members of the League. The first woman to make a consecration in the Federation was Gertraud Gräfin von Bullion (1891-1930). Together with her cousin, she formed the first Federation group of single women.
The Schoenstatt Movement grew and so did the Women’s League. More and more married women became interested in what was emerging. In the mixed groups of married and single women, little by little the need to separate them became apparent, in order to better respond to the different realities and concrete needs of each group. Beginning in 1940, married women began to function in a separate Branch. Thus, the Mothers’ League was born. When diocesan communities were formed, a Circle of diocesan leaders was formed in the Mothers’ League who – together with a Sister of Mary appointed by the Founder – elaborated the apostolic guidelines of the Mothers’ Movement, for courses in formation.
In the minds of these leaders, the sense of responsibility for the Movement grew more and more, and with it, the need to deepen their belonging to Schoenstatt in the spirit of the Apostolic Federation. They then drew up a constitution, by means of which they wanted to commit themselves totally in this same way. The spokesperson for this group was Maria Maud Wiesmann.
From time to time, some of these leaders informed our Father and Founder about their work and their desire to be allowed to find a Federation community for married women. But before giving his permission, Father Kentenich waited for clearer signals. He asked himself this question: Can a mother belong to two families, the natural one and a community of a family character, such as the Federation represents? Thus, before the “birth” of the Mothers’ Federation, our Father already considered that community in his heart. However, the decisive question for him was: What is God’s plan?
In 1950, a retreat for the Diocesan Leaders’ Circle was organized for the first time from September 4 to 8 at the Covenant House. More than 100 mothers participated, and the large banquet hall of the Covenant House was filled to capacity.
Father Kentenich spoke to the mothers on the theme: “The retreat is a school of love”, dealing in depth with the questions and needs related to the education of the woman and the mother, in marriage and the family. (Lectures of the retreat 1950 – published in “Uns gesagt” vol. 3 / For Us).
In between the lectures, Fr. Kentenich takes time to talk to the women of the Leaders’ Circle on the subject of the Federation. Through the private letters that the mothers sent him individually, he had already gotten to know them. Finally, in summary, she tells them: “They practically already live the Federation: they keep a Spiritual Timetable, give an account to the confessor, and make a report to the group leader. And she assures them: “After all that has been done, we now have a course of Federation of Mothers (…) I believe that now that we have gathered in this way and we are organized with more strength, we should also speak of a new triumphal march that our Mothers’ Movement is taking to the world. This supposes that all those in the Federation take even more responsibility for the work as a whole, so that the Federation courses grow and flourish. One foundation course must be followed by many others (…) The tasks you have to solve are very different! What am I trying to say? (…) How many are there? Forty-seven? Too few, if you want to have a worldwide mission, (…) You have to grow in immensity”.
Retreat Room, Covenant House, 1950
First Course Ancilla
2° Course Coenfederatio
And as Father and Founder, he gives the mandate: “When the Federation has been realized here, it must also emerge abroad. We must become an empire, a united community”. (1950)
Father Kentenich could not directly accompany the young foundation. He placed this responsibility in the hands of his faithful collaborator, Father Franz Bezler, who had already been directing the Women’s Federation for years. Now he also had to bring married women into the structure of the Women’s Federation. M. Christgard as the person responsible for the implementation of the Mothers’ Federation and then, from 1952 onwards, Sr. M. Vita, who headed the Federation until 1982.
On February 4, 1968, a decisive conversation took place between our Father and Founder and Sister M. Vita. She asked how the Mothers’ Federation should continue. Up to now, it had been an experiment for her. Each course lived in its own community world, but the real structure of the Federation was missing. What would become of the “experiment?”
Father Kentenich clearly gave the instruction: “Prepare the official constitution for 1970 and draw up the statutes.” This meant:
(a) In addition to the courses, from now on, two areas (free community and official community) are established.
b) Area leaders are appointed
c) Course mothers are appointed.
d) The first provisional statutes become obligatory.
e) Sister M. Vita is elected leader of the Federation.
Father Kentenich had promised to carry out the Constitution. But Heaven had another plan. On September 15, 1968, it was time for his return to the house of the Triune God.
The women and mothers faithfully followed the instruction, and after intense work, on August 22, 1970, at the tomb of the Founding Father, the Constitution of the Mothers’ Federation could be formalized.
Expansion to other countries
1981 – Chile celebrates the founding of the Mothers’ Federation, with 15 women.
1986 – USA begins with the first meeting of candidates.
1988 – The first course is formed in Argentina.
1992 – Mothers in Portugal begin to get to know the Mothers’ Federation.
1992 – Ladies in Switzerland also began to show interest in the Mothers’ Federation.
1994 – A request is submitted to the General Presidency to be allowed to start the Mothers’ Federation in Brazil.
1994 – South Africa also officially submits a request to the General Presidency.
1995 – Paraguay joins the Federation of Argentina as a single territory
1995 – From this year onwards, the Mothers’ Federation is represented in the General Presidency by the Federation of Germany.
1999 – Mothers from Spain become interested in the Federation.
2006 – The General Presidency is formally requested to allow the founding of the Mothers’ Federation of Spain.
2022 – Paraguay founds its own territory, becoming an autonomous territory.
2024 – Costa Rica begins its founding process.
What has been the road travelled up to the present day?
The path towards the International Confederation of Mothers’ Federations has been a life process that began years ago.
In September 2002, the first international meeting took place in Germany. This meeting was conceived in 1999, in Chile, for the May 31st Jubilee, by federated mothers motivated by the desire to get to know each other and exchange information and experiences about how the Federation was lived and developed in each of the countries that, despite the difference of languages and places, shared the same mission and the same language: the Covenant of Love with Mary.
In each of its meetings, those who had the joy of participating in one way or another, can attest to the fraternity, warmth, dedication, devotion, work, capital of grace and joys, transformed into abundant fruits and richness difficult to transmit.
In each subsequent Congress, the aim was to exchange experiences, strengthen ties, share ideals, seek common ground to unite, reflect and project what our Father and Founder left us as a mission and, as far as possible, respond to the challenges of the present time.
These international meetings took place every 5 years in different countries:
2002 – 1st Congress, Schoenstatt, in Germany.
Germany proposed several topics to get to know each other.
2007 – 2nd Congress, Argentina
Theme 1: The educational plan in the Federation. Pedagogical Path. Argentina/Paraguay
Theme 2: Lifestyle of the Mothers’ Federation – Chile.
Theme 3: Road to the Mothers’ Federation Model – Germany
2012 – 3rd Congress in Brazil
Theme 1: Selection Criteria – Chile
Theme 2: Covenant Culture – Argentina/Paraguay
Theme 3: Apostolate – Germany
2017 – 4th Congress, in Chile
Theme 1: Family today – Germany
Theme 2: Schoenstatt on the way out – Argentina/Paraguay
Theme 3: Women and the daily activity/work – USA, Texas
Theme 4: Vocation and the Federation – Chile
2022 – Founding Chapter, in Schoenstatt, Germany
Since 2002, an international current has been developing and growing over the years, to such an extent that in 2012, at the 3rd International Meeting in Brazil, the idea of establishing the International Confederation was already concretely installed. There we worked and exchanged a lot on the subject. It was decided to take it up again at the next international congress, in Chile, in 2017.
In each of the international meetings, Sr. M. Luciane played a leading role, and we learned a lot from her. At the 2017 Congress, she spoke about the International Confederation and commented that the General Presidency had invited us to reflect on this topic.
Since the first international meeting in 2002, the question of how and when we could work together as a Mothers’ Federation had been hanging around us.
Thus, in 2017, we noticed that we were at a historic moment, beginning Schoenstatt’s second century and close to the 100th anniversary of Höerde. Imploring the Holy Spirit to enlighten us, we began to reflect on whether the time had finally come to found the Confederation and what the steps were to follow.
The first step was to submit the application for the International Chapter. The second step was to propose an official date for the Chapter, expressly defining it as the Founding Chapter of the International Confederation of Mothers.
Also, to decide on the place, which could be in Schoenstatt, as the place of origin.
Another point was to decide how many members would participate in this Chapter. It was resolved that each territory would send three representatives.
This Founding Chapter would also have to elect the International Directorate. Since the Chapter is sovereign, it should also decide how many members would be part of the International Directorate.
In order to constitute the International Confederation, in accordance with what was resolved in the International Congress of Chile 2017, a request was submitted to the International Presidency of the Schoenstatt Work, which has the power to authorize such a request.
On November 18, 2018, the International Presidency unanimously approved the request and confirmed the holding of the International Chapter for September 2022, in Schoenstatt.
Road to the Founding Chapter
In 2021, a commission was formed, presided by Chile, in which the way to work to organize this International meeting was discussed.
The first commission was made up of three mothers: Bernardita González, from Chile, Iris Wiersma, from Argentina, and Kathleen Colunga, from the United States. They began to meet periodically, overcoming language barriers. They first learned to get to know each other, to exchange experiences and ways of working within the Federation, in each of their territories. They grew in friendship, affection and trust. They delegated concrete tasks to the other territories that would attend the Foundational Chapter.
Then, the Zoom meetings began to be more frequent. Mothers from the territories that would attend also joined the work of the commissions. They were all learning to use the translators available on the web.
Germany sent a series of questions, which she considered important to be answered before the Founding Chapter. In this way, thanks to the digital platforms and some translators, they were able to meet several times with the participants of the International Chapter to plan, discuss, and agree on how to work. These exchanges – prior to the Chapter itself – required a lot of work, but they were essential, very enriching, and facilitated the work that was later developed in Schoenstatt, during the Foundational Chapter.
International Council
The International Council elected during the Founding Chapter, on September 7, 2022, was constituted by the following mothers:
International Leader – Kathleen Colunga (U.S.A.)
Vice International Head – Matilde Di Battista (Argentina)
First Councilor – Maura Santana De Jesus (Brazil)
Second Councilor – Cecilia Brunner (Chile)
Third Councilor – Norma Pistilli (Paraguay)
On September 8, the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the International Confederation was founded with the name: “International Apostolic Federation of Schoenstatt Mothers” with the motto: “Mary, whoever sees me should see you.”