Events Sept. 18-20 will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the dedication of the Jubilee Family Shrine at Schoenstatt on the Lake in Sleepy Eye.
Founded in 1914 by Servant of God by Father Joseph Kentenich in Germany, Schoenstatt is a Catholic lay movement that describes itself as striving “to live the Gospel of Jesus Christ through the example and guidance of Mary.”
For the past 50 years, Schoenstatt on the Lake’s Marian shrine and retreat center have served Minnesota and the broader Midwest. Like other Schoenstatt shrines around the world, the Jubilee Family Shrine in Sleepy Eye is a replica of the original chapel in Germany, The Catholic Spirit reported last year.
“The Schoenstatt Shrine is home for our family,” Carlos and Claudia Pedevila, Jubilee Committee team leaders, shared in a statement. “We moved to Minnesota from Chile in South America 10 years ago. And the first thing we did was visit the Blessed Mother at the Sleepy Eye Shrine. And she made sure we felt at home.”
Schoenstatt on the Lake Retreat Center Director Ron Miller said the upcoming anniversary celebration is open to the public and will include a bonfire and evening prayer Sept. 18, a family retreat and “Marian Serenade” Sept. 19, and a solemn Jubilee Mass at 2 p.m. — officiated by Bishop Chad Zielinski of the Diocese of New Ulm — on Sept. 20, the main jubilee day.
Meanwhile, according to Schoenstatt on the Lake representatives, jubilees celebrated this year along with the shrine’s 50th anniversary include 150 years of St. Mary Help of Christians in Sleepy Eye, and 100 years of the Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary. To mark the celebrations, Pope Leo XIV has granted plenary indulgences for all who visit one of the Schoenstatt shrines, churches and chapels under the care of the Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary — including the Jubilee Family Shrine.
A schedule of events and RSVP information can be found online at schoenstattmn.com.
