ITALY, Stefanie Scarpinella. Rome. July 26, 2009, I am here for the start of the 4th mission of the Schoenstatt Youth. 5:00 p.m. was the time set at Holy Patrons Parish, but since it involves a group of Romans, no one was surprised that the Mass began at 5:30 p.m. when about half of the missionaries had arrived. After the sending forth ceremony, the carefully planned and important greetings were made and would have lasted until nighttime if our priests had not kindly loaded us into the automobiles, ending our affectionate exchanges. That is how the mission in Arborea, Sardinia began with the motto: WITH MARY WE DRAW EARTH CLOSER TO HEAVEN!
Once we reached the route that would lead us to Olbia in Sardinia, we noticed the great differences that existed between those who had already participated in the missions and those who had not yet participated; the “experienced” missionary takes: a pillow, an eye mask for sleep, a jacket (so you don’t become an ice cube with the ship’s air-conditioner) and a small, sturdy suitcase for resting your feet on, placing you almost in a reclining position, perfect for sleeping on the ship’s seats.
On the other hand, the inexperienced missionary wears a short sleeved t-shirt, perfect for freezing toes that are on the torn seat, and doesn’t know the foot rest cannot be raised forcing you into the position, where you are always blinded by the lights from the hall, and forced to use the life jacket as a pillow. Anyway, the following morning, we were all awake, ready to board the automobile, and head to Arborea, the real goal of our trip.
Arrival at Don Bosco Parish
After a three-hour trip, we arrived at Don Bosco Parish, where the pastor, Father Silvio, was waiting for us in order to update us on the latest information regarding his community, and the activities’ schedule, the sacred ones and the secular ones we had to respect.
The first day was completely dedicated to us. Each person could choose a room and roommates, and it was almost like a school outing – the order was: the one who arrives first gets the best rooms! After a brief meeting, in which the missionary leaders clarified some of the practical points of the mission such as: schedules, times for work and prayer; we went to lunch. We were hungry and a little sleepy, so by dessert time, some were yawning (disguising this by looking attentive and looking vaguely at their plates) and our very strict leaders noticed so they gave us an hour and a half for a nap.
Preparing the House Chapel
Meanwhile, those in charge of spiritual matters transformed the House Chapel into a small Shrine that would become the place where we would pray in the morning and at night. It would be the place, where we could have time with God and the Blessed Mother, where we could rest and meditate, and where we would find all the Schoenstatt symbols such as: the picture of the Mother Thrice Admirable, the Unity Cross, the Jar for the Capital of Grace, Father’s telephone, and all the Pilgrim MTA’s that would accompany each missionary pair during visits to Arborean homes.
In order to give an idea of a typical day in the life of the missionary, I will take time to describe one for you. First, the missionary always wakes up at the last minute with just enough time to take a quick shower and go down at the exact time for Morning Prayer. During breakfast you truly wake up and when you begin to walk through the streets of the place (on the beach between the umbrellas) you are ready to invite people to Mass to talk to them about the Pilgrim MTA and to converse with the most sociable ones. About lunchtime you happily go to the dining hall. You are enthusiastic about the idea of playing a game of ping pong or something else that doesn’t involve sleeping, however without knowing it, you punctually lay down on the bed with the alarm that calls you to order.
The Rosary on the beach
PIn the afternoon, the New Encyclical of the Pope is discussed, and then you and your partner return to visit the parishioners until 6:50 p.m. when you attend Mass and enliven it with songs and the readings. The night is dedicated to all kinds of songs, dance, and entertainment for those who stroll through the main square. 
The most beautiful times of the this mission were surely the Rosary on the beach with some people who were there participating, the Mass, the games that we organized with the children from the Sisters’ community in Arborea, the visits to the sick, and the final mission show in which a boys’ rock group from Arborea performed and we, the missionaries, showed exceptional artistic talent to all the people we had invited. One of the outstanding fruits of our mission was the final Mass, in which many parishioners, a group of boys preparing for Confirmation, and the group in charge of the Pilgrim MTA’s that will visit the homes of Arborea participated. After the ceremony, the new missionary in charge of a Pilgrim MTA from a neighboring town was commissioned.
There were many experiences and emotions during those seven days; there were many gifts from heaven. One among many was the bond that was established among the fifteen boys and the two priests, who barely knew each other before the mission but by the end, they discovered that they had become a small family united by the motto that accompanied them during the entire mission: WITH MARY WE
Translation: Celina Garza, San Antonio, USA/Melissa Janknegt, Elgin, USA
