“Vallendar, 26. June 1915

My dear Prefect,

Your long awaited letter of 15th, was given to me today, 26th. How did that happen? The envelope has been stamped: Delayed for military reasons. Perhaps you are already in the trenches?

Be that as it may, I firmly trust that our dear heavenly Mother will still lead all our Sodalists who really have a vocation to their goal, although it seems impossible. We have baptized her: Mater ter admirabilis – Mother Thrice Admirable. In future we will honour her under this title in our Sodality Chapel, because there is no doubt that she has proved herself wonderful in our soldier Sodalists, not least in you. She has also been wonderful in us who have stayed behind.

The Editor of ‘Unsere Fahne’ (Our Banner) wrote to me the day before yesterday, ‘It is obvious that God’s blessing rests on your Sodality. May it continue to grow.’ Recall our reverend founder’s words which I wrote to you at the beginning of the war: Erit societas haec benedicta a Deo, et hoc dico non tantum cum fiducia, sed cum certitudine. (This Society will be blessed by God. I say this not just with trust, but with certainty.) At the time I remarked that our Marian Sodality will bear this blessing in a special way. Was my judgement right?

Mater ter admirabilis: She will prove that she is wonderfully on and in our Sodalists during the long vacation. So our battle cry in future will be: Mater ter admirabilis, ora pro nobis! ...

You are surprised by the development of our Sodality as it has been described in the annual report. That’s nothing! For understandable reasons it has been kept as objective and meager as possible. Nevertheless Fr Boegle printed it in full in the periodical ‘Unsere Fahne’, and he placed it right in the middle with the title: The Student Sodality in the Pallottine Mission House at Schoenstatt (near Vallendar/Rheinland). However, if I as the Spiritual Director were to spill the beans on five or six of our students, you would definitely understand the title: Mater ter admirabilis.”