ARGENTINA, Silvia Sibay de Losada/mca. On the road toward the jubilee of the Covenant of Love and motivated by the Shrine current, schoenstatt.org invites the entire international Schoenstatt Family to a virtual pilgrimage from Shrine to Shrine every 18th of the month – beginning with the Shrine of Tucumán, Argentina. Why Tucumán? Because the article about the blessing of this Shrine in April of 1999 was the first article published about an event outside of Germany… The Tucumán Shrine (actually it was Father Ángel Strada who forwarded that report) opened the international door for everyone to what we now know as schoenstatt.org, a website at the service of life nourished by Schoenstatt’s authentic life and currents on our road toward October 18, 2014.
Upon entering the grounds of the Shrine of Tucumán on a cold and cloudy day, the Blessed Mother’s dwelling can be seen at the back among magnificent vegetation. To the right, the Father Kentenich Memorial and the Unity Cross greet the visitor; to the left, there is a Wayside Shrine of the Blessed Mother and the Joao Pozzobon Memorial.
““What most delicate silence, love of the most hidden love…The cascades of the trees fall to the ground and reach the Shrine…”.
Within the Shrine, Her children elevated prayers, offerings, and petitions: Mother! We consecrate ourselves to You! How many rosaries flowed throughout the afternoon!
How much love is offered and received! What joy! It is a day of encounters and renewal of the Covenant with the Blessed Mother. All the members of the large, international Schoenstatt Family were remembered.
Holy Mass
During the Holy Mass, which was celebrated in the afternoon by Father Newman, from Nigeria, they prayed for all the members of the large, international Schoenstatt Family. “May the Blessed Mother shelter, transform, and make us docile and happy instruments in her hands, blessing our families, work and projects.
May Mary feel visited and venerated in every Shrine or Wayside Shrine and may our prayers be elevated to God for everyone who needs them…”
There was a special remembrance, for the 101st Anniversary of Father Kentenich’s priestly ordination – July 9th – and for Joao Pozzobon, the first missionary of the Schoenstatt Rosary Campaign, for the 26th Anniversary of his death, June 27th.
Schoenstatt would not exist as Father conceived it without the attachments among one another
An expectant mother was blessed after the prayer of the Rosary in Adoration. Then everyone went to the multi-purpose hall to participate in the Covenant Day Holy Mass. There were many Pilgrim MTA.s at the foot of the altar, which belong to the missionaries, who renewed their Covenant today, along with the entire Schoenstatt Family of Tucumán.
Upon welcoming the pilgrims, Father Newman said that it was a day of great joy, Covenant, and attachments, because Schoenstatt would not exist as Father Kentenich conceived it, without the attachments among each other.
Like every 18th, the Covenant was renewed while looking at the Shrine, with all the lights lit at the end of the afternoon. It looked like a fountain of all the graces that the Lord bestows from there, through the intercession of Mary, Mother and Educator.
Then Father Newman blessed an expectant mother, hope of new life.
It was also recalled that in all the corners of the land, the Schoenstatters united on this day in prayer for their sisters and brothers and in gratitude to the beloved Mother. Every 18th, a current of attachments flows, from Shrine to Shrine, from Wayside Shrine to Wayside Shrine.
A light rain…
When the Mass ended, there was a light, but persistent rain, which made them think that the Lord through the Blessed Mother bestows thousands of graces over everyone.
It was beautiful to share snacks at the end of the afternoon giving the inclement day some warmth; they once again celebrated an 18th! There was an exchange of experiences, re-encountering each other as family. They felt united with each other in the shadow of the Shrine!
They departed from there renewed to make a greater effort to be, as the 2011 motto of the Schoenstatt Family from Argentina states: FATHER’S HEIRS, PROPHETS OF LIFE.
Translation Spanish/English: Celina M. Garza – English edit: Melissa Peña-Janknegt
