BURUNDI, Justine Ndayisaba. Every year in the month of February, the Schoenstatt Ladies’ Branch organizes a pilgrimage to the Queen of Confidence Shrine in Mutumba. On February 20th, the Rosary Campaign’s Auxiliary MTA and the Father Symbol that is in Burundi on its worldwide pilgrimage in preparation for the centenary of the Covenant of Love in 2014 accompanied the Pilgrim MTA’s.
To prepare themselves, the ladies had organized a novena with a very rich and profound program: silent Adoration, daily rosary, Litanies to the Blessed Mother, reading the book “God, Where Are You?” Pilgrimage Prayer 2014, benedictions, Marian songs… Those days of prayer concluded with the Covenant of Love Mass with the Blessed Mother on February 18, 2011. Then on the morning of February 20th at approximately 6:30 a.m., the pilgrims waited impatiently for the bus on the patio of Mount Zion Gikungu. After the blessing by the Shrine’s rector, Father Evade Bigirimania, they began the trip with eleven buses and some cars, and they shared the program during the pilgrimage: a time of silence from Mount Zion to the military hospital, the rosary with songs in between, litanies to the Blessed Mother, words of encouragement… When they were fifty miles from the Church in Mutumba, the participants gathered to carry out a very animated procession to Zion carrying the symbols that accompanied them to the place, where the faithful of Mutumba waited for them. The drums gave the pilgrims a good welcome, and at approximately 10:00 a.m., it was the priests’ and the local faithful’s turn to receive the picture of the Blessed Mother and the Father Symbol. They went to the church followed by a multitude of pilgrims.
The reason the Father Symbol is visiting Burundi
While they waited for the celebration of the Eucharist to begin, a lady from the Branch briefly explained the meaning of the Father Symbol. In his homily, the celebrant, Father Nyandwi, National Director of the Schoenstatt Movement in Burundi, again reflected on this symbol that was officially sent on July 8, 2009 to begin its worldwide pilgrimage. The ceremonies took place in Germany, in the Schoenstatt Original Shrine, where the Father Symbol will return in 2014 after traveling to the countries allover the world in which there is a Schoenstatt Family. This is a pilgrimage of preparation toward the 100th Anniversary of the Movement (1914-2014). “We should entrust our problems to the Good Father, who loves us, who sees us, and who needs us. The Schoenstatt Families will only remain united in this way helped by the founder of the work, Father Joseph Kentenich, with the blessing of our Mother Thrice Admirable according to the plans of the Holy Trinity.”
Through the testimony of Father Anicet, they learned about the places where the Father Symbol had passed, and after a long period of drought as in Kenya and Uganda, it rained. It was the pilgrim’s turn to give thanks for the abundant rain that was covering the region precisely at this time, and they took time to pray two rosaries, to sing and to dance in thanksgiving. Before the solemn blessing, Mrs. Justine Ndayisaba, president of the pilgrimage, expressed appreciation to everyone who given their body and soul for those for whom the pilgrimage was made: the Schoenstatt Fathers from Mount Zion Gikungu, the Sisters of Mary, all the pilgrims. She also invited them to receive and to build the Kingdom of God in the place and situation in which they were: families, apostolic field…
Postponed because of rain…
A pilgrimage was planned from the Church to the Queen of Confidence Shrine, but since it rained for more than two hours, it was postponed. God had other plans. The visit was done individually, each one went to entrust their problems to the Blessed Mother; the return to Bujumbura was at 2:45 p.m. The pilgrims did not notice the bad condition of the road to the Shrine. They went to place their concerns, and they returned to their buses on time. Father Anicet interpreted the rain as a blessing from Father.
Undoubtedly, the pilgrimage and the visit to the Shrine bore fruits and the following testimonies reflect it:
A change of life
Mrs. Chazalle Irène Ingabire placed her burdens in Mary’s hands, she said she trusted Her, she felt free, confident and blessed. She thinks that no one returned from this pilgrimage empty handed. She is sure that each one saw or will see a change in their life. These places change the personalities of the people, and they train them to live a better life.
An immediate response
Mrs. Justine Mdayisaba revealed some of the fruits of the pilgrimage: “I had at least four things to entrust to my beloved Mother. One of them was about some land. I had filed the documents in the respective office ten months ago. The office closed at the beginning of this year, they told me that the documents had been lost, but I found them, and I gave them to the secretaries. The day after the pilgrimage, I went to the respective address and although it was difficult to get to, it was easy for me to get to the director, who attended to me, and he immediately signed (the documents), and he kindly explained why the signatures were delayed. This was an immediate response of Mary.”
Father is happy and he wants to stay with him for a while
Mrs. Mélanie: If we believe in our God, we see wonders everyday. “I cannot express my joy when I try to understand this mystery of the Father Eye. At the beginning, I did not understand it well, but through history and the teachings that followed I could understand that this image reminds us of the presence of the Eternal Father. He who always follows us with his eye and his right hand just as sacred scripture teaches.
At first I did not understand why there were so few who came to welcome it at Mount Zion (Sunday, February 20, 1011).
When we departed on this pilgrimage to Mutumba accompanied by many pilgrims, I was very happy and my joy exploded at the moment that it began to rain without ceasing during the time of thanksgiving. I said to myself: it is that the Father is happy, and he wants us to stay with him for a while. There were small children innocently dancing around the altar in addition to the dancers who prepared to dance. The multitude, accompanied by the choir, sang and danced without getting tired; you could even see their immense joy in their gaze. They had not counted on the rain, where this symbol passed; it rained as a sign of blessing and in our case it also spoke about the past.
The following Monday, during our prayer of praise, we had another opportunity to glorify our heavenly Father in the presence of this symbol. What a charismatic praise! The Blessed Mother was truly present to help thank the Holy Trinity and her so beloved Good Father.”
Toward the Shrine with songs
Finally as the beautiful sun set, we returned to Bujumbura. Some pilgrims accompanied by Sister Marie-Clare descended the mountain on foot, since the route that led to where the bus was waiting was very slippery. The songs echoed in the bus on the road toward the Shrine of Mount Zion.
Translation: Celina Garza, San Antonio, USA/Melissa Jenknegt, Elgin, USA
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