The Schoenstatt Mariengarten Shrine in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was dedicated on January 20, 1962. Father Kentenich, Schoenstatt founder and Servant of God, made a private visit to the shrine on the eve of its dedication. Father blessed the shrine and its contents.

Mariengarten translates from German into Garden of Mary. The gardeners (people) plant flower seeds in the form of their joys, sufferings and sacrifices in the garden so that Mary can help them bloom (grow) more and more into the image of Christ. In Milwaukee, the pioneer couples, the Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary, the Schoenstatt Girls and Boys Youth, with the help of many other people, built the Mariengarten Shrine in this fashion, offering all their "flower seeds" to the capital of grace, asking the MTA to help them in their endeavor to build the shrine. The Mariengarten Shrine thrived for many years. Sadly, due to unforeseen circumstances, the shrine was closed in 1998, reopened for limited hours in 2006, and was closed permanently in 2018.

OPEN DOOR TO THE OHIO DAUGHTER SHRINE 

In January 2012, a group of Ohio leaders met and discussed  the possibility of making a request to spiritually adopt the Mariengarten Shrine. After some communication with the Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary in Waukesha, Wisconsin, the request was presented to the National Schoenstatt leadership, called the Presidium, asking if this might be possible. In March 2012, the Presidium granted the request stating that when Ohio was prepared, spiritually, physically, and financially, to build a shrine  the contents of the Mariengarten Shrine would be gifted to the family.There was great joy and thanksgiving at this news! Since that time, the Ohio family has continued to strive, spiritually and physically, to make the Ohio daughter shrine a reality. In early 2018, it was learned that the land where the Mariengarten Shrine was located had been sold and the buildings on the property were to be demolished. The contents of the Mariengarten Shrine were moved to the International Schoenstatt Center. The shrine building itself could not be saved. This opened a door...could possibly now be the time? Could the contents of Mariengarten daughter shrine come to Ohio?

SCHOENSTATT OHIO HOME SHRINE DEDICATED 

The Ohio Schoenstatt family has received several items from the Mariengarten Shrine through the kindness and generosity of the Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary and the consent of the Presidium. On September 15, 2018, the Schoenstatt Ohio home shrine was dedicated by Father Stephen Mondiek in the St. Philomena Chapel of Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in Anna, Ohio 45302.. Approximately 400 Ohio Schoenstatt members attended holy Mass and the dedication ceremony. The Ohio home shrine contains the Mother Thrice Admirable, Queen and Victress of Schoenstatt crowned picture, the light frame around the picture with the Latin inscription, "Servus Mariae Nunquam Peribit ", which  in  English  translates, “A  child (a servant) of Mary will never perish”, and the St. Joseph Statue with his staff. These items from the Mariengarten shrine have special significance and are precious to all our Schoenstatt family because they were blessed by our founder and Servant of God, Father Joseph Kentenich. 

The Mariengarten MTA picture is crowned with one of the few crowns in the world actually blessed by our founder, Father Joseph Kentenich. The crown is a replica of the crown in the Original Schoenstatt Shrine in Germany. It was purchased by a group of Schoenstatt Sisters in Germany who wished to gift the crown to a Schoenstatt daughter shrine somewhere in the world where the people were unable to afford one. It was to be a crown of mercy, and our MTA was to tenderly care for the poor. Christmas Eve 1966, the crown was given to Father Kentenich and he agreed that the crown should be given for the shrine at St. Phillip Neri Parish in Milwaukee, WIsconsin. So on May 18, 1967, our Mother Thrice Admirable was solemnly and prayerfully crowned in her Mariengarten Shrine with the title, Queen of Mercy. What a blessing! The MTA crowned picture is now in Ohio!