About Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary, Provincial House · Waukesha, Wisconsin
The Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary Provincial House in Waukesha, Wisconsin is the North American headquarters of the Secular Institute of the Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary, a community of consecrated women founded in Germany in 1926 by Pallottine Father Joseph Kentenich. Situated on Cherry Lane just outside Milwaukee, the property encompasses the International Schoenstatt Shrine (dedicated to Mary under the title Mother Thrice Admirable, Queen, and Victress of Schoenstatt), the Sisters' Provincial House chapel, and the adjacent Schoenstatt Retreat Center set on roughly 200 acres of farmland, forest, and wetland. The site is recognized as the "home shrine" of the Schoenstatt Movement in the United States, a spiritual anchor connected to Father Kentenich's 13-year exile in Milwaukee (1951–1965) and the place he envisioned as an international center. Today the Provincial House chapel is a public place of prayer with daily Mass and welcomes pilgrims, retreatants, and visitors from around the world.
- Established
- 1968
- Patron
- Our Lady, Mother Thrice Admirable, Queen, and Victress of Schoenstatt (MTA)
- Rector
- The Provincial House is staffed by consecrated women; Sr. M. Emily Kenkel serves as Provincial Superior of the North American province.
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Milwaukee
Why belong here
The Provincial House is a pilgrimage destination, not a typical territorial parish: the Waukesha grounds are the "home shrine" of the Schoenstatt Movement in the United States and the place Father Joseph Kentenich himself envisioned as an international center during his Milwaukee exile (1951–1965). Visitors come for daily 7:00 AM Mass in the intimate House Chapel, for afternoon adoration of the Blessed Sacrament at the International Schoenstatt Shrine, for monthly Covenant Sundays (Mass, a formation talk, and fellowship with lunch on every third Sunday of the month), and for overnight retreats, family camps, mother/daughter and father/son weekends, and the Schoenstatt Connect family formation afternoons held the Saturday before each Covenant Sunday. It is a particularly fitting place for anyone drawn to Marian spirituality, the Schoenstatt covenant of love, or quiet days in a wooded setting that the sisters intentionally keep as a "beautiful place" for an encounter with Christ.
Mass times at Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary, Provincial House
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- By arrangement; the retreat center notes that the Sacrament of Confession can be incorporated into retreats if a priest is brought with the group
Adoration times
- Blessed Sacrament exposed every afternoon at the International Schoenstatt Shrine
- Blessed Sacrament accessible 24/7 in the Retreat Center House Chapel
About the Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary
The Secular Institute of the Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary is a community of consecrated women founded in Germany on 22 October 1926 by Pallottine Father Joseph Kentenich. As a secular institute (the first German secular institute of consecrated women), the sisters do not take public vows but sign a contract-consecration promising poverty, virginity, and obedience, and they live in the world in order to renew it from within. Their special mission is to be the soul of the Schoenstatt Movement: forming girls, women, and families in a Marian culture, anchored in the covenant of love with the Mother Thrice Admirable, Queen, and Victress of Schoenstatt. They are present in 32 countries on every continent.
The Provincial House in Waukesha
The North American Provincial House sits on Cherry Lane in the Town of Waukesha, Wisconsin, on a 200-acre property that also includes the International Schoenstatt Shrine, the Schoenstatt Retreat Center, and the Father Kentenich Hall. It functions as the administrative seat of the U.S. province, the home of the Sisters' formation community, and a public place of prayer with daily Mass in the House Chapel.
- Provincial Superior: Sr. M. Emily Kenkel
- Address: W284 N404 Cherry Lane, Waukesha, WI 53188
- Main phone: 262-522-4200
- General email: [email protected]
History of the Waukesha Center
The Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary first came to Wisconsin in November 1949 to the Diocese of Madison, later moving to a house on West Wisconsin Avenue in Milwaukee, where they hosted small retreats. As the work grew, they purchased about 200 acres of farmland, forest, and wetland in Waukesha in 1963. The International Schoenstatt Shrine was built there in 1964, the Provincial House in 1968, and the Retreat Center opened in 1969. The site is the spiritual 'home shrine' of the American Schoenstatt Movement, rooted in Father Kentenich's 13-year exile in Milwaukee (1951–1965).
- 1949 — First sisters arrive in Wisconsin (Diocese of Madison)
- 1951–1965 — Father Kentenich's 13-year exile in Milwaukee
- 1953 — First U.S. replica shrine built in Madison
- 1963 — Sisters purchase 200 acres in Waukesha
- 1964 — International Schoenstatt Shrine built in Waukesha
- 1968 — Provincial House built in Waukesha
- 1969 — Full-service Retreat Center opens
- 2015 — Laudato Si' Project partnership begins on grounds
- 2019 — Retreat Center 50th jubilee
- 12 October 2024 — Archbishop Listecki blesses the Father Kentenich Hall
- 15 August 2024 — Magnificat Household dedicated in Madison for 75th anniversary of U.S. arrival
- 2025–2026 — 100-Year Jubilee of the Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary celebrated worldwide
Mass, Sacraments, and Liturgy
The Provincial House chapel is the public worship space for this community. Catholic directory listings confirm Mass is offered on Saturday and Sunday at 7:00 AM, and the sisters welcome visitors to participate. Confession is available on request and can be incorporated into group retreats when a priest accompanies the group. The Blessed Sacrament is accessible 24/7 in the Retreat Center House Chapel for retreat guests and is exposed every afternoon at the International Schoenstatt Shrine.
- Saturday Mass: 7:00 AM (English) in Provincial House chapel
- Sunday Mass: 7:00 AM (English) in Provincial House chapel
- Confession: by arrangement / for retreat groups with a priest
- Adoration: Blessed Sacrament exposed every afternoon at the Shrine; 24/7 access in the Retreat Center House Chapel
- Covenant Sunday Mass: every third Sunday of the month, with formation talk and lunch in the Father Kentenich Hall
Schoenstatt Spirituality and Devotions
The defining devotion of the Schoenstatt Movement is the covenant of love with Mary under the title Mother Thrice Admirable, Queen, and Victress of Schoenstatt (MTA). It was sealed in 1914 in an abandoned cemetery chapel in Schoenstatt, Germany, and is renewed monthly on the 18th. Pilgrims at the Waukesha Shrine can pray the rosary, renew the covenant, and spend time in adoration; the retreat center describes its mission as providing a 'beautiful place' (the literal meaning of 'Schoenstatt') in which to encounter Christ.
- Covenant of love with the MTA (renewed monthly on the 18th)
- Marian shrine devotion at the International Shrine of the Father Kingdom
- Schoenstatt Rosary Campaign and Capital of Grace
- Venerable Emilie devotional (monthly Jubilee Holy Hour at the Provincial House)
- Father Joseph Kentenich as spiritual father and founder of the Movement
Retreat Center and Guest Facilities
The Schoenstatt Retreat Center has served the Archdiocese of Milwaukee since 1969 and is open to Catholic and Christian groups for day and overnight retreats. The site combines modern meeting facilities with the natural beauty of 200 acres of farmland, forest, and wetland, including trails developed in partnership with the Laudato Si' Project.
- 38 double rooms (capacity 76 overnight guests)
- Father Kentenich Hall — 500+ capacity with state-of-the-art AV
- Smaller breakout rooms with views of the Schoenstatt Shrine
- Cafeteria and dining room seating 100–200
- House Chapel with cedar beams and stained-glass windows
- Conference hall, fireplace lounge, and gift shop
- Meals prepared by the sisters (notable homemade bread and cookies)
- Reservations: 262-522-4300 / [email protected]
Programs, Retreats, and Formation
The Waukesha Center runs a full calendar of retreats and formation events for pilgrims, families, young adults, and diocesan clergy. Signature events include Covenant Sundays (every third Sunday), Schoenstatt Connect family formation (Saturday before each Covenant Sunday), mother/daughter and father/son retreats, family camp, and discernment weekends for young women considering a vocation with the sisters.
- Covenant Sundays — Mass, talk, lunch, third Sunday of each month
- Schoenstatt Connect — Saturdays before Covenant Sundays, 2:00–6:00 PM
- Discernment retreats — Sleepy Eye MN (Feb 27 – Mar 1, 2026), Madison WI (Jun 5–7, 2026), Waukesha WI (Aug 7–9, 2026)
- Diocesan Priests' Retreat — July 6–10, 2026 in Waukesha
- Family Camp — late July / early August 2026 (July 31 – Aug 2, 2026)
- Jubilee Holy Hour with the Sisters — monthly, in honor of Venerable Emilie
Staff and Community Leadership
The North American province of the Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary is led by a Provincial Superior and staffed by sisters serving in vocations, formation secretariats, donations, and safeguarding. Direct contacts for each office are listed on the community's website.
- Provincial Superior — Sr. M. Emily Kenkel ([email protected])
- Vocations Office — Sr. María José Sousa ([email protected], 262-683-1168)
- Father Kentenich Secretariat — Sr. M. Monika Uhlenkamp ([email protected])
- Sister M. Emilie Secretariat — Sr. M. Victoria Heiderscheidt ([email protected])
- Donations and Bequests — Sr. M. Catherine Ditto ([email protected])
- Victims Assistance / Reporting Abuse — Sr. M. Frances Pizarro ([email protected])
Visiting and Pilgrim Information
All visitors are welcome at the Provincial House and the International Schoenstatt Shrine. The shrine is open daily from 6:30 AM to 8:30 PM for private prayer. Day pilgrims are invited to attend the 7:00 AM Mass in the House Chapel, spend quiet time in adoration at the Shrine, and walk the trails through the property. Group pilgrimages and retreat bookings are arranged through the Retreat Center.
- Shrine hours: daily 6:30 AM – 8:30 PM
- Daily Mass in the House Chapel: 7:00 AM (Sat & Sun publicly listed)
- Free parking on grounds
- Group reservations: 262-522-4300 / [email protected]
- Prayer intentions can be submitted through the website contact form
Land, Nature, and the Laudato Si' Project
Since 2015 the sisters have worked with the Laudato Si' Project, a nonprofit founded in response to Pope Francis's 2015 environmental encyclical, to upgrade the natural spaces on their 200-acre property. The collaboration has produced expanded walking trails and restored wetland, forest, and prairie areas. The sisters explicitly link their care of the land to their mission: 'grace builds on nature,' and the beauty of the property is part of how the center welcomes people into encounter with Christ.
- 200+ acres of farmland, forest, and wetland
- Trails developed with the Laudato Si' Project since 2015
- Ecological restoration as part of the sisters' formation mission
Jubilee Year (2025–2026) — 100 Years of the Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary
From October 2025 through 2026, the Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary are celebrating their 100th anniversary worldwide. The community, now present in 32 countries across all continents, is marking the centennial with a Jubilee Exhibition, monthly 'Faces of Hope' mini-documentaries about individual sisters, jubilee receptions (e.g., a clothing ceremony for ten young women on 15 November 2025), and special retreats at Waukesha and other international centers.
- Centennial theme: '100 Years Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary — 1926–2026'
- Monthly 'Faces of Hope' portrait series
- Jubilee Exhibition and Jubilee Reception events
- Clothing ceremony of ten young women on 15 November 2025
- Worldwide gatherings of sisters in Schoenstatt, Germany, and at regional centers including Waukesha