Walking with Mary

From there, the Auxiliary will visit the Archdiocesan Shrine of Sta. Teresa of Avila in Talisay City San Roque Parish Lipata in Minglanilla, the Archdiocesan Shrine of Immaculate Heart of Mary in Minglanilla, Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Parish, Inayagan, and Saint Thomas of Villanueva Parish, Pardo, followed by various parishes in Cebu City. The Pilgrim Mother will return to the Schoenstatt Shrine for the Covenant Sunday Mass Celebration on March 20 at 3:00 pm.

How it all began – back in November 2010

Close to a hundred delegates attended the 1st Schoenstatt Pilgrim Mother Apostolate (Internationally known as Schoenstatt Rosary Campaign) Convention last November 6 and 7 at the Philippine Schoenstatt Shrine located in Lawaan, Talisay City in southern Cebu, Philippines.

Coordinators (missionaries) of the Pilgrim Mother Apostolate from Cebu province attended the two-day convention together with other walk-in delegates from far-away places like Siargao Island in Mindanao.

The Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary, led by Sr. Charito Maria Olvido head coordinator of the PMA in the Philippines, went all out in making delegates feel at home the moment they set foot in the beautiful Shrine.

Mary a pilgrim

In his keynote address, the Most Reverend Julito Cortes, Auxiliary Bishop of Cebu talked about the Blessed Virgin Mary by re-framing her experiences as written on the Gospels.

From the Annunciation and Infancy narratives of St. Luke, the flight of the Holy Family into Egypt based on the Gospel of St. Matthew, their return to Nazareth that saw Jesus growing up with Mary and Joseph, losing Him and finding Him sitting among the teachers in the temple courts, to the Passion of Christ, where Mary made the Way of the Cross with her Son, then later standing at the foot of the Cross and finally beholding Jesus’ dead body on her lap. According to Bishop Cortes, these are events that showed Mary as a pilgrim constantly “on her feet”.

The image of Mary “on her feet” was a point that Bishop Cortes emphasized because for him it “is crucial to understanding the Pilgrim Mother Apostolate.”

Bishop Cortes exhorted delegates to always be “on their feet” for God, the Church, society, and neighbour. He also reminded delegates of the need for sacrifice and to pray the Holy Rosary always as it enables the faithful to “walk with Mary in a pilgrimage of great possibilities.”

Other speakers included Ms. Lisa Uytengsu and Ms. Joyce Yang, who helped organize the first local convention.

A national convention in 2011

In mid November, Sr. Elizabeth Foley, Sister Superior of the Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary Australia/Philippine Province, visited the Philippine Schoenstatt Shrine to personally meet with the conveners and offer her congratulations to all for helping make the convention successful.

There is a consensus among Schoenstatt family members of seizing the momentum by holding a national convention next year. This will certainly enable the Schoenstatt family to become more aware of the great founding jubilee of the Schoenstatt Movement on October 18, 2014.

Setting out to the parishes

The “fruit” of the convention was an interesting topic in the post-convention meeting with Sr. Elizabeth Foley because delegates working in local parishes took the initiative of asking a local parish priest to enshrine the PMA Auxiliary image in the church.

There will be talks to familiarize the people about the Schoenstatt spirituality. The enthronement of the Auxiliary image and the orientation of the faithful coupled with devotions for our Mother Thrice Admirable will be a template for similar programs in the diocesan parish churches and chapels.

The positive developments come with some concerns, but the Schoenstatt Family believes that the Queen & Victress of Schoenstatt and the graces of the milestone of Joseph Kentenich’s centenary of sacerdotal ordination will sustain their efforts in accomplishing God’s will through the Schoenstatt Movement in the Philippines.