ARGENTINA, Silvia Losada. On August 23rd, the missionaries from Tucumán renewed their commitment to the mission at the Shrine of Tucumán. Although Spring is still a month away, a warm and brilliant day welcomed the people who arrived from Santiago del Estero to join the large annual celebration of the Tucumán Rosary Campaign.
Tired from the trip, but happy to be at the Blessed Mother’s home, they descended from the buses and ran to the Shrine. Their faces expressed love, emotion, longing, and gratitude. There were so many emotions! Some of them cried…
The people greeting Mary
The pilgrimage began immediately at the entrance of the grounds to the Shrine. Flags, banners, Pilgrim MTA’s, the Auxiliary MTAs from Santiago and Tucumán, and hundreds of pilgrims from the two provinces greeted Mary with their handkerchiefs like little flags held high. She had lovingly prepared her home to welcome them: balloons, flowers, and posters welcomed them. “Little Mother of Heaven, I do not know how to pray, I can only say that I want to love you…” they happily sang. Father Joseph Kentenich blessed them from his memorial, while the imposing Unity Cross watched them pass as the moved towards the Shrine.
A Hero today
John Pozzobon welcomed them with a smile from his memorial. Surrounded by flags and with the Auxiliaries on both sides of his photo, he seemed to say, just as he did on that March 31, 1984 to the Argentineans at the Shrine of Santa Maria, Brazil: “For love of the Campaign, be a hero today.”
A hero is a missionary who knocks on doors without knowing if they will welcome him/her; one who without neglecting their own family takes the Pilgrim MTA to a sick person; the one who prays the rosary with someone who needs it; the one who can withstand the misunderstandings of people sometimes even by their own families. The heroes maintain joy and hope during times of uncertainty, and they infect others with this hope and joy. They are ones who renew their mission each year by saying to the Blessed Mother: “Here I am, I want to be your hands and your feet!” The pilgrimage ended at the Shrine with singing to Mary; from there they went to multi-purpose hall to carry out the morning activities.
Let us give the Blessed Mother some joy, by bringing our children to Her
After lunch and some recreational activities, some folkloric dancers danced for the Blessed Mother and missionaries from Santiago del Estero sang to Mary and delighted those present. Then the panel consisting of The Shrine in our mission, the Modality of the Pilgrim MTA of the Cenacle, and the Process of canonization of John Pozzobon testimonies began, setting the missionaries on fire. The highlight was the testimony of the little missionaries.
With his face illuminated with a smile and his eyes wide open, Agustin relates: “My first visit with the Blessed Mother was to my neighbor next door to my house. I went to his house and clapped my hands. They responded, and I gave them the Pilgrim MTA. Then we prayed the Consecration Prayer to the Blessed Mother. At that moment I felt nervous… My ideal is to be a good student. I also have some daily resolutions, for example, to be a good student at school, and I also offer it as Capital of Grace”. Nicolás expressed: “My first visit was to my neighbor. It was a joy for me because this family was the first one to receive the Blessed Mother. I felt a little nervous but happy. The missionary families that are sent told me that all their situations had improved and other families asked me if they could keep the MTA one more day. My ideal is to be a good student, a good son, and a good friend. I offer my resolutions as Capital of Grace.” Lara goes on mission to a kindergarten. The children do not know how to write so they leave their fingerprints on the Pilgrim MTA’s tablet. This children’s attitude touches the heart…
Be children of God on the day of the Missionary Infancy
As in all things of God, there are no coincidences rather there are causes. On August 23rd, the Day of the Missionary Infancy was celebrated in Argentina. Father Pablo Mullin, Adviser for the Schoenstatt Family of Tucumán, referred to childlikeness. He recalled Father Kentenich’s and John Pozzobon’s giving of self to Divine Providence, and he stressed that the link of 2009 towards 2014 of the Rosary Campaign of Argentina, Let us give the Blessed Mother joy, by bringing our children close to her, also has to do with giving our inner child, to become a child before God. He invited all the missionaries to cultivate some of these attitudes during the year: trust, coherence, heroism, courage, and joy, all of these are indispensable in order to give witness to Mary and Jesus. It is important to stress the work of all the missionaries and leaders, who, with much self-giving and dedication, exhibited the fruits of their missions on the panels placed along the sides of the hall.
25th Anniversary of mission in Argentina and towards the world
Then they went to the Shrine to pray the rosary and to share in the Holy Mass. Before they renewed the missionary commitment, two new male missionaries received their Pilgrim MTA’s one of them is the first missionary cab driver from Tucumán. It was late afternoon when they all raised their Pilgrim MTA’s to the shout of “She is the Great Missionary, She will work miracles!” During the offertory of the Mass, the missionaries offered a rosary, representing the 25th Anniversary of the Rosary Campaign in Argentina. On March 31, 1984, at the Santa Maria, Brazil Shrine, John Pozzobon gave the first twenty-five Pilgrim MTA.s going to Argentina and from there to the American Shrines beginning the American Campaign. Later, through the work and mission of Father Esteban Uriburu, the Rosary Campaign was extended throughout the world. The children offered their toys (balls and dolls), and the little missionaries offered their mission. A choir of young Schoenstatt couples, along with their children, offered their voices making the Holy Mass brighter. It was touching to see them singing to the Blessed Mother with their babies, baby bottles, and pacifiers!
Living family, Argentina’s hope
To conclude the celebration of this beautiful day, all the children gathered around a large poster that contained the motto of the Argentinean family for the year 2009: “Living family, Argentina’s hope.”
“We are a living family when we open and mark new roads in the realization of a world according to the will of God who is concerned about everyone. We are a living family when, we are led by the spirit, we have the unusual valor and courage of encouraging ourselves towards the good and the just in the midst of a world that is always wavering. We are a living family and prophets of light who guide the steps of the people when we dare to place our lives at the service of the children. We are a living family when we defend the rights of the weakest. We are a living family in life when we instill trust and hope and we can say that we have helped to enlighten; when we notice others and accept them as they are. We are a living family of God when we recognize Him through simple adoration, loyal and contagious. We are a living family when we withstand and we do not lower our arms before trials, purifications, darkness, difficulties… 
This is our mission, although we know that it is not always fully lived. It should not make us fall into defeat; thinking that what we have done or that what we are doing is of no use.
The road of childlikeness and commitment to the Campaign has the personal flowing through it which each person, as a Christian and as a conscientious member of Schoenstatt, exerts himself to be the upright and transparent hope of Mary. Living Family, Argentina’s hope: a goal that should encourage our effort without interruption.
