PARAGUAY, Rosa María Lezcano, Mirta Patiño, Katia Monreale. Throughout 2010, the 25th Anniversary of the Rosary Campaign in Paraguay – the Blessed Mother has given the Campaign a new start. She has given us many emotional experiences during this year, and one of them was the visit of Monina Crivelli and Cristina White, Rosary Campaign experts from Argentina. Their visit from August 20th to 23rd was very helpful in that it demonstrated the need for continued training for our missionaries. The teachings and testimonies of these two remarkable women were great contributions to our Campaign’s efforts.
During the exchange with the leaders of the Campaign, they worked on the roots and the foundations of the Campaign that are stated in the Document of Consensus Santa Maria 89 about the responsibility of the laity within the Campaign, and how the Campaign with its charism can be a great protagonist in the entire Schoenstatt Family’s preparations for 2014. This large pilgrimage whose goal is the renewal of the Covenant of Love in its strength of formation and of being missionary will manifest itself -within Schoenstatt- in the renewal of the Family and beyond in forming a Covenant Culture.
In the spirit of John Pozzobon and Father Esteban
“For us, as leaders, to share with them was like an injection of wisdom, of knowledge, and above all of being able to train ourselves in the spirit of John Pozzobon and Father Esteban. We needed more time to hear all they had to say, and we once again confirmed that this spirit is the same everywhere: the Campaign is the same here just as in any other country,” Katia Monreale related. “We understood more clearly that from its beginning, the Campaign has been a gift for Schoenstatt, and that through the Campaign, the treasure of the Covenant of Love and the graces of the Shrine can be given to thousands of people. That the Campaign, through the mystery of the Covenant of Love, can take many to the Blessed Mother, to her Son, Jesus, and to God the Father.
Undoubtedly the great task is to train the missionaries, so that they can learn about Schoenstatt and the Founding Father in depth, so the mission that they carry out, can be more fruitful.
The treasure that Monina and Cristina have left us is enormous, and we are still savoring this time, and we feel as if the Blessed Mother sent them to point to the work that we are carrying out, and what we want to undertake from here looking towards 2014″.
The story of the first ones!
“We have experienced days of strong bonds with Cristina and Monina, as if we had known each other for some time, although we already knew Cristina since she came to Paraguay in 2005,” says Rosa María Lezcano. “The treasure that they brought us, especially Monina’s first few years’ experience of the Campaign in Paraguay, as well as in Argentina, is fascinating. There are stories that are not found in books, but they are recorded in the memory and above all in the heart. There are stories filled with love…commitment…and sacrifice…they are stories about the first ones!
That the Rosary Campaign will continue writing this story of love
All of this awakened the desire in us that the first ones here, Marité and Ramón Marini along with Mirta and Beto Etchegaray and many others would write these experiences in a book so that the future generations will understand this great HISTORY OF LOVE that is the SCHOENSTATT ROSARY CAMPAIGN. We want to do all that the Rosary Campaign will continue writing this story of love that the Blessed Mother began with John Pozzobon on September 10, 1950.
We became a little like Father Esteban, “The Christopher Columbus of these times”, as the Founding Father called him, by being co-heirs of everything that they have left to continue building the NATION OF GOD IN OUR HOMELAND. We remain united in the strength of the Covenant!”
Translation: Celina Garza, Melissa Janknegt, USA
