PARAGUAY, Javier Cabral. During the Holy Mass on June 18th, the Crown Team presented a model of the crown that will be offered to the MTA October 1st, for the 10th Anniversary of the Ciudad del Este Shrine in Paraguay.
With fervent discussions, they worked every Saturday for more than three months, and each Branch and community of Ciudad de Este presented their input and defended their ideas.
Now they needed the materials and spiritual contributions, but the MTA will take perfect care. The collection of precious metals to make the crown for the Queen of the Father’s Garden is fruitful, not only with material contributions, but also with the joyful spirits of the donors.
Luis and Magdalena Martínez shared some of the testimonies they received along with the donations.
I want it encrusted in some little part of the crown
The first testimony is from one of the ladies of our Family, who with an emotional spring struggling to stream through her eyes, showed me a gold charm along with several others her mother wore around her neck for many years from the birth of her first child until her death. This little charm in the shape of a little girl represented her and her mother united forever with Mary in our Shrine.
The other testimony arrived by email; therefore, with the permission of the author, I copied it exactly as it was written.
“Dear brother and sister, Magdalena and Luis: Like you, I want to share the meaning of my donation for the MTA’s crown. When my beloved Heloísa was born, my husband gave me a little doll. It is a charm that I wore on a chain; and as a sign of unity with my daughter I never removed it. I engraved her name on the back. I was never separated from it. I experienced very happy times and bitter times with it just like any human being. I have kept it as my greatest treasure, just as my much-remembered Helíosa continues to be.
Only a person who has suffered the loss of a daughter can feel what we suffer. I want to give my daughter to the Blessed Mother once again. I know that She has her at her side in that beautiful place where she is now, and for that reason I want this charm to be placed in some little part of the crown. I give it so that She will decide. I send an embrace to both of you and especially to Magdalena, whom I admire very much.” Sara R.D.
Luis Martinez explains: “Heloísa, who is fondly remembered, was my catechumen for three years until she was confirmed, and she belonged to the Girls’ Youth Garden of Mary Group of which Magdalena was in charge. We will also be able to visit her in the Shrine.
A cross that encompasses a stage of life
I have a silver cross that was given to me by a childhood friend. It is a very simple cross made with two parallelepipeds that are interwoven in an excellent proportion – in my opinion – and it accompanied me, hanging from my neck during my years at the university.
It was a silent witness to my failures and successes as a student. It helped me without reproach when I made mistakes as a youth, it had fun with me in frenzy of the “new wave”, we got excited together when a new friend arrived, and it consoled me during the sadness of the breakup.
When Magdalena arrived to stay, I stopped using it. Since it represented a transcendental stage of my life, it was kept among souvenirs, which conveniently and in a healthy way, I set aside as a new time and determined loyalty opened up before me.
All of this emotional baggage experienced with my cross is a kind of backdrop where by contrast, my happy present shines.
The jovial unstable past makes the balance that a wife offers gleam: the loneliness of the past, that unavoidable follower of every youth, makes pleasant work of the children’s presence, and the sweet calming of grandchildren standout.
And now I want to offer my past to the future that I will share with you.
When the crown shines over the picture of the Blessed Mother and her Son in our Land’s Shrine, a little piece of my life will be – God willing and we are worthy- forever united to a piece of the existence of each one of you.
The prophetic words of the Founder will be renewed:
You want to unite all your members
Intimately to yourself
so that, as one body, we may gather at the altar
as your sisters and brothers. (Heavenwards p.38)
Translation: Celina Garza, Melissa Janknegt, USA
