Vatican City — On the occasion of the centenary of the Secular Institute of the Sisters of Mary of Schoenstatt, Pope Leo XIV granted plenary indulgence to all the faithful who visit the original shrine in Germany, as well as the other Schoenstatt shrines and chapels and churches under the care of this community.
According to the movement itself reported on its website, the indulgence can be obtained throughout the entire jubilee, which began on October 1, 2024, and will conclude on November 4, 2026.
“An invitation from God for a deeper purification”
In a statement, the Schoenstatt Movement expressed that this gift granted by the Pope constitutes “an invitation from God, through the Church, for a deeper purification of the heart” during its jubilee year.
“We trust that the grace of God will sustain us more perceptibly at the beginning of a new era for our family,” added the Sisters of Mary, underscoring the spiritual meaning of the jubilee as a time of inner renewal and communion with the universal Church.
The Decree of the Apostolic Penitentiary
The decree of the Apostolic Penitentiary of the Holy See establishes that the plenary indulgence is granted “to the members of the institute and to all the faithful who, moved by repentance and love, join the spiritual objectives of the 2025 Jubilee Year”.
Furthermore, it is specified that the indulgence can also be applied to the souls in purgatory, in suffrage for the deceased, according to the intention of the one who obtains it.
Conditions for Receiving the Indulgence
The faithful who wish to receive this spiritual gift are invited to pilgrimage to one of the Schoenstatt shrines or chapels and to remain there in prayer and recollection.
As in every plenary indulgence, the following are required:
- The sacramental confession,
- The reception of the Holy Eucharist,
- The prayer for the intentions of the Pope (Our Father, Creed, and invocation to Mary, Mother of God, Queen of Peace and Mother of Mercy),
- And the performance of an act of penance and a work of charity.
A Jubilee Year for Schoenstatt
The Secular Institute of the Sisters of Mary of Schoenstatt, founded in 1926 by Father Joseph Kentenich, celebrates its centenary of foundation with a call to conversion, unity, and fidelity to the Marian mission of the movement.
The jubilee seeks to rekindle the spirituality of consecration to the Virgin Mary and the practical living of the Schoenstatt motto: “Nothing without you, nothing without us”, as an expression of filial trust in divine Providence.
Spiritual and Ecclesial Renewal
The gesture of Pope Leo XIV reaffirms the pastoral value of jubilee years as times of grace and spiritual renewal. In a context of growing secularization, the granting of this indulgence reminds the faithful of the need for inner conversion, sacramental reconciliation, and concrete commitment to charity.
With this indulgence, the Holy Father invites the Schoenstatt family—and all pilgrims—to rediscover the meaning of penance and ecclesial communion, visible signs of a spiritual rebirth within the framework of the upcoming Church Jubilee in 2025.