Schoenstatt Fathers

Our community was founded in 1965 as the sixth and last secular institute of the Schoenstatt Movement, but its roots go back to the October 18, 1914, founding day of the Schoenstatt Movement by Fr. Joseph Kentenich. Our main mission is to fulfill the role of the “pars motrix et centralis,” the body that provides priestly inspiration and guidance to the Movement. As priests we are ordained for and incardinated into the international community of Pontifical Right of the Schoenstatt Fathers, headquartered in Schoenstatt, Germany, with about 300 members worldwide.

The U.S. Schoenstatt Fathers were established in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in August 1965 while the presence of our community in Texas dates to 1966. Our house community in Austin was established in 2005, and since then we have been ministering to the Movement throughout the state of Texas as well as serving the local Church in different capacities. Among these, we serve as Moderators of the different branches of the Schoenstatt Movement and as coordinators of the diocesan Schoenstatt families in Texas. We are also responsible for the Shrine ministry at the Schoenstatt Shrines in Austin and San Antonio. Some of our fathers serve at parishes in the Diocese of Austin, particularly St. Paul in South Austin.