Schoenstatt on the Lake
27762 County Road 27 Sleepy Eye, MN 56085
schoenstattmn@gmail.com
(507) 794-7727

PRESS RELEASE

Golden Jubilee of Minnesota Marian Shrine

The Schoenstatt Family in Minnesota celebrates the 50th Anniversary of the dedication of the Jubilee Family Shrine in Sleepy Eye, MN.

SLEEPY EYE, JULY 2026 - The Schoenstatt Family of Minnesota will celebrate its 50th Anniversary (1976-2026) of the Jubilee Family Shrine at Schoenstatt on the Lake in Sleepy Eye, MN, on September 18-20, 2026. The public is welcome to this historic celebration. For a schedule of events and to RSVP, visit schoenstattmn.com.

As places of grace, Schoenstatt shrines around the world draw millions of pilgrims. The Jubilee Family Shrine in Sleepy Eye — amid its small-town setting, nestled between the corn fields of southern Minnesota along the shores of Lake Sleepy Eye — is Schoenstatt on the Lake, a Marian shrine and retreat center that has served Minnesota and the Midwest for the past 50 years through various retreats and days of reflection for both youth and adults, and is an active part of the Schoenstatt Movement in the USA.

In the name of Minnesota's “Jubilee Family Shrine,” “Jubilee” - represents the three jubilees that took place in 1976 when the shrine was built: that of the nation, the parish, and the Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary community. Jubilees celebrated this year along with the 50th Anniversary of the Jubilee Family Shrine are: 250 years of the USA, 150 years of St. Mary Help of Christian Catholic Church in Sleepy Eye, MN, and 100 years of the Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary. The “Family” aspect of the name of the shrine shows the mission of support and formation of holy families after the example of the Holy Family.

Pope Leo XIV has granted the gift of a plenary indulgence for all who visit one of the Schoenstatt Shrines, churches, and chapels under the care of the Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary in their centennial year. This includes the Jubilee Family Shrine in its Golden Jubilee Year.

“The Schoenstatt Shrine is home for our family. We moved to Minnesota from Chile in South America ten years ago. And the first thing we did was visit the Blessed Mother at the Sleepy Eye Shrine. And she made sure we felt at home,” shared Carlos and Claudia Pedevila, Jubilee Committee Team Leaders. An important part of local history is how the shrine came to be through prayer and the intercession of the Blessed Mother. The Jubilee Family Shrine has been a pilgrimage destination and place of renewal to many throughout the past 50 years.

“I am excited about the upcoming Jubilee Family Shrine's 50th anniversary celebration on the weekend of September 18-20,” said Ron Miller, Schoenstatt on the Lake Retreat Center Director. “The public is invited to join in the family-friendly events including a Friday night bonfire and evening prayer, Saturday family retreat concluding with a Marian Serenade, and Sunday, September 20, the main jubilee day, will include a time of witness to God's blessing through the Jubilee Family Shrine. A Solemn Jubilee Holy Mass will take place at 2:00 pm officiated by Bishop Chad Zielinski, Diocese of New Ulm,” said Miller. For more information, a full itinerary, and to RSVP, visit: schoenstattmn.com.

Schoenstatt is a Catholic lay movement that strives to live the Gospel of Jesus Christ through the example and guidance of Mary. Schoenstatt was founded on October 18th, 1914, by Servant of God Father Joseph Kentenich in Germany and has since grown to over 200 shrines in 35 countries all over the world.

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Brief History of Schoenstatt on the Lake in Minnesota

The first seeds of Schoenstatt in Minnesota were planted in 1921, by Father Lambert Hoffmann, a diocesan priest who brought devotion to the Mother Thrice Admirable from Germany. Although his early efforts were not immediately successful, they bore fruit in later years. In the 1960s, Schoenstatt began to take root more visibly in Minnesota when the Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary came to Ivanhoe to administer a small rural hospital and nursing home. There, the first couples' and youth groups were formed, and a flourishing apostolate for the sick developed. At the same time, Schoenstatt also began to grow in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area through the formation of a professional women's group. The Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary encouraged members to search for a site for a Minnesota Schoenstatt Shrine on one of the state's 10,000 lakes.

On December 7, 1974, the Schoenstatt family experienced what they saw as a crowning “miracle.” The image of the Mother Thrice Admirable, purchased by the first Schoenstatt Girls Group, was crowned with the prayerful intention: “Show us where we should build your shrine NOW.” Within hours, land near a small lake in Sleepy Eye, Minnesota, was suggested as a possible site. Two years later, after extensive cleanup, fundraising, and volunteer labor, the Jubilee Family Shrine was dedicated there on October 3, 1976.

The small farmhouse near the shrine first served as a hospitality center, but it soon became too limited for the growing needs of the Schoenstatt Family. In response, the original retreat center was built in 1981, and later expanded in 2004. Through retreats for women and families and summer camps for youth, Schoenstatt on the Lake Retreat Center has become a spiritual home for the Schoenstatt Movement in Minnesota. The Jubilee Family Shrine continues to be a lasting center of renewal, service, and spiritual life for the surrounding communities, and especially for the Schoenstatt Family.

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Calendar/Bulletin Announcement

The Schoenstatt Family of Minnesota will celebrate its 50th Anniversary of the Jubilee Family Shrine at Schoenstatt on the Lake in Sleepy Eye, MN, on September 18-20, 2026. The public is welcome to this historic celebration. The weekend will include various family-friendly activities, programs, and Holy Mass with Bishop Chad Zielinski. For a schedule of events and to RSVP, visit schoenstattmn.com.