The movement was founded on the 18th of October, 1914 by a young Pallottine priest, Fr. Joseph Kentenich [1885-1968] and a group of junior seminarians.

The intention was to form “firm, free and apostolic men and women” through the Covenant of Love with Mary, and invite her to make the Schoenstatt Shrine a place of grace. From there she would form the hearts of people for the renewal of the Church in our time.

Essentially Fr. Kentenich wanted to create a spiritual life that was appropriate for the fast changing conditions of our modern world.

The resolve of the young students was severely tested when many were called to serve in the trenches of the First World War. The Founding Generation produced many heroic lives.

Between the world wars Schoenstatt began to grow as a retreat center that catered to many diverse groups of people. Fr. Kentenich gave many of the talks and retreats developing the Covenant of Love with Mary. He highlighted how the world is moving into a new era and the Church has to give a credible response to the needs of our times.