What are a Family Branch Leader, Family Branch Moderator, and Couples Group Mentor?

Family Branch Leaders

A Schoenstatt family branch couple is responsible for organizing and coordinating activities and meetings for the family branch. The branch leaders also serve as a point of contact between the families and the wider Schoenstatt community, facilitating communication and collaboration.

A Couples Group Mentor

A couples group mentor is a married couple who takes on a leadership and mentoring role within a Couples Group. The role is specifically occupied by a couple with a longer and/or more profound experience of Schoenstatt formation. The mentor couple has a deep understanding of the movement's spirituality and mission. Their primary role is to guide and support the married couples in the group for the first two years of formation until the couples in a group seal their Covenant of Love. Once that happens, the mentors step away and the group chooses a couple within the group to take their place. This allows the group to continue their formation independently, though still represented by one couple in the discussions with the whole branch, and encourages its members to take more active roles in the branch and wider movement. 7

7 Lugo, S and Bernardon, F (2023, February). Family Apostolic League [PowerPoint presentation] Presented at Schoenstatt, Austin, TX.

Family Branch Moderator

Family branch moderators are the spiritual guides of the family branch. This role is reserved for a Schoenstatt Father and either a Schoenstatt Sister or a Lady of Schoenstatt. The moderators assist, accompany, and orient the branch and the individual groups. They serve as a source of spiritual guidance and help facilitate discussions and workshops. With unwavering dedication, the moderators empower the family branch to embody Schoenstatt's ideals, making a positive impact on the world around them. 8

8 Lugo, S and Bernardon, F (2023, February). Family Apostolic League [PowerPoint presentation] Presented at Schoenstatt Movement of Austin, Austin, TX.