“My dear Confreres in the Federation,

A few days ago the leader of the Federation, Fr Kentenich, paid me a brief visit. He was en route from Ulm where he had held a Marian Conference for the boys and men of the neighbouring regions. He told me about the activity of the northern regions and of the plans and needs of the Schoenstatt Centre.

At the Autumn Conference in 1923 and now at the Course for Spiritual Directors, we saw that everyone was talking about enlarging our Federation chapel. I am also happy that at the time of the meeting of regional leaders it was decided that any extension of the shrine would have to preserve the chapel as it now stands. With the erection of a new building, it would have to be either a side chapel or part of the choir, or included in some other way. So this decision is connected with the idea of enlarging the shrine considerably, and hence, for reasons we can easily understand, the launching of the project put off for a later date.

In the meantime, however, a new idea has been considered, which first came to those Federation confreres who have not got used to the poor little Federation home as a result of repeatedly visiting Schoenstatt. Since the Federation has grown greatly in numbers, they are hoping to see a correspondingly imposing Federation Home when they first visit Schoenstatt. The large numbers attending this jubilee year’s conferences, and the lack of space that resulted (the impossibility of eating together in one room), and the impossibility of offering a single room to the priests, although many city chaplains felt this need because they were so stressed out, has given rise to much thought. The new idea has arisen as a fruit of the otherwise inspiring conference that before we approach the extension of the Federation shrine, we will have to extend, or better, build a new Federation Home in Schoenstatt. Circumstances have confirmed that this plan will have to be carried out as soon as possible. ...”