USA, Kathy Asanza. Just a few days from now, the shrine in Miami, United States will be blessed by Monsignor Felipe de Jesús Estevez, the auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Miami, Florida. It has been a long wait – 23 years since our Mother Thrice Admirable arrived from Schoenstatt, Germany and made her home among the Schoenstatt Family in Miami, mostly made up of Latin American immigrants. Years of contributions to the Capital of Grace, prayers, sacrifices and also some joys and blessings will culminate on 12 December 2010 – the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the Patroness of the Americas, and the anniversary of João Pozzobon – with the blessing of this much desired shrine.
We are very grateful to God the Father, the Blessed Mother and our founder for the gift we are about to receive, which is not the end of a long journey, but rather the start of another journey where the Schoenstatt Family commits to ensure that this shrine will be filled with ‘life’ for those who go on pilgrimage to it.
Live Transmission
We hope that modern technology will allow us to stream the celebration via the internet so that the whole Schoenstatt Family can be spiritually present and share in our joy. If all goes well, it will be possible to watch the celebrations on Schoenstatt-TV. The schedule will be posted on this page.
The final touches
The last few days have been dedicated to finishing the final touches: painting, putting in the altar, the sound, etc. The various committees also have the major responsibility of making sure that our Mother and Queen will be happy with everything and that this place, surrounded by fruit trees and palm trees, can truly become a “beautiful place,” a New Tabor, a home and the small piece of heaven we’re all looking for.
We are saying the following prayer in preparation for the blessing and ask that you unite yourselves to us by asking our Blessed Mother:
Mother Thrice Admirable, Queen and Victress of Schoenstatt. Thank you for the Shrine! As your grateful children, we now ask you: Become present in this shrine we have built with such longing and childlike love. Come down! Take possession of it and erect your throne of grace, so that it can become a guiding light for the world of today. Mother, come and remain with your children! Queen, Come and reign over your family! Educator, come and transform us! Following the example of our father and founder, we want to become a light and a way to the merciful Father. Come, Mother, come! Amen.
Translation: Sarah-Leah Pimentel, Pretoria, South Africa
