Development of the Shrine 1914-1919

The light frame becomes a reality

After recovering from a serious illness, Fritz Esser was able to resume his studies in Spring 1919. His aim was to complete his schooling. In Fr Josef Klein’s biography there is an account of this. It also shows that mention was again made of his idea of a light frame.

The Spring of 1919 was marked in the Marian Sodality by the commemoration of the fifth anniversary of its foundation – 1914-1919. At this time Fritz Esser made his light frame. It included the well-known profession of faith: Servus Mariae nunquam peribit (A servant of Mary will never perish), as well as other symbols. The beginning and end of the frame, which was closed, was inscribed with the dates: 1914-1919 to indicate the five years in which the Marian Sodality had existed, and the words: Ingolstadt – Schoenstatt, to indicate the parallel behind which the great goals of the Sodality had been hidden. He put up the light frame in the chapel. We no longer know on which day he did this, yet much suggests that it was done in connection with the celebrations in April.

Fritz Esser received practical help with all his work. One or the other Pallottine Brother helped him with the woodwork. For the electrical work he was indebted to the competent help of the Vice-Rector of the house, that is, Fr Arthur Auer. Later Fr Johannes Tick testified that Fr Auer also completed this work, as he always did when he was asked for his assistance.

The heat generated by the lights in the frame contributed to its destruction, so that when the new altar came into the shrine, and the old frame had to be taken down from the wall, it fell to bits and could not be reconstructed again.

Fortunately the Sisters of Mary in the Old House had copied Fritz’s light frame exactly and so preserved its shape for posterity. The reason for this was that the Novitiate course at that time cultivated Eucharistic Adoration greatly, and this could not be properly carried thorough at night in the shrine. So a small Adoration Chapel was constructed in Room 24 of the Old House for the night Adoration. They naturally also wanted the Blessed Mother to be there as in the shrine. So two young Sisters, M Alphonsa and M Felicitas constructed a copy of the light frame. They finished it on 8 December 1928 and it was put up in this house chapel.

Fritz Esser had put a wooden crown above the light frame. It was the first crown in the shrine. When the new altar was put up in the shrine in 1934 this first crown was replaced by a new one, also made of wood, which was gilded about a year later. Finally the Sisters of Mary donated a new, golden crown for the shrine to commemorate the silver jubilee of the shrine, and it was put up on 10.12.1939.