Day Trips: Schoenstatt Shrine, Lamar

photos by Gerald E. McLeod

The Schoenstatt Shrine on the coast outside of Rockport is one of approximately 280 around the world, 12 in the U.S., and three in Texas. Each one is more or less a replica of the original chapel in Vallendar, Germany.

Father Joseph Kentenich founded the Schoenstatt Apostolic Movement in 1914 just as the world was slipping into World War I. The organization was meant to foster a renewal of faith within the Catholic Church and society.

During World War II, Fr. Kentenich was imprisoned in the Dachau concentration camp. Then the church exiled him to Milwaukee, Wis., for 14 years. He died in Germany in 1968.

The shrines are a place of meditation, and an anchor to the movement’s faithful. There are only six pews in the chapel. The altar includes a picture of Jesus and Mary and a statue of Saint Michael the Archangel. The ornate wooden altar is slightly uneven to help ease claustrophobia in the small space, says Sister Jessica, who happily gives tours of the building.

Three Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary brought the shrine to Lamar, a village across Copano Bay from Rockport. The sisters left Africa after being appointed to the diocese in Corpus Christi. With no funds to travel to Texas when the ship landed Mobile, Ala., the sisters were in danger of being stranded. Later the ship was forced to change course for Corpus Christi because of a hurricane.

Known as the “Shrine of Confidence,” the small white chapel was dedicated on Oct. 18, 1959. The second Schoenstatt Shrine in Texas was dedicated in San Antonio (Helotes) in 2008. A third shrine was dedicated outside of Austin in 2014.

The Schoenstatt Shrine overlooks the bay in Lamar at 134 Front St., and is open daily from 9am to 6pm. The shrine is part of a retreat and conference center. For more information, go to Schoenstatt-Lamar.us.

1,692nd in a series. Everywhere is a day trip from somewhere: Follow “Day Trips & Beyond,” a travel blog, at austinchronicle.com/daily/travel.