BRAZIL, Filipe Araujo. Everyone in the whole world saw that the Pilgrim MTA of the Heroic Youth – a gift from Pozzobon, a symbol and relic of Brazil’s Boys Youth – was at WYD in Madrid and in Schoenstatt. It was not easy to take it, not only because of the physical weight, but most of all because of what it entails to take care of such a treasured symbol of our Youth. However the Mother rewarded us, and we want to tell you about that reward.
In Madrid
The Pilgrim MTA’s stay in Madrid began very peacefully. We did not want to take any risks, so we left Her in the chapel at our lodging throughout Unamimiter and WYD. But we thought: “The Pilgrim MTA should go on pilgrimage. That is Her mission,” and we took her to the Stations of the Cross with the Pope. The result? Different people, whether they belonged to the Movement or not, stopped to ask about the picture. It was like being on mission during WYD. The Blessed Mother truly opened doors! We told people about Schoenstatt and about its history. They were surprised to know that Pozzobon had made it, and we told the people who did not know Her about the Rosary Campaign.
The blessed Mother appeared on TV
The Pope passed by the Pilgrim MTA twice. And furthermore: He passed by looking! During the closing Mass, we lifted Her very high at the moment that the religious objects were blessed, and even in the midst of almost two million people, She was outstanding: be it by the pilgrims from Dubai who wanted to learn about the Movement because of Her, or at the famous moment when the Blessed Mother appeared on TV. Our Italian friends immediately received a message from their compatriots telling them that the Pilgrim MTA had appeared on TV.
Finally, we took the Pilgrim MTA to a Brazilian celebration in the Madrid-Rio Square. Many Brazilians wanted to take photos with Her (even some Bishops). They wanted to touch Her, and in the midst of the celebration, the emcees asked that the Blessed Mother be taken to the stage to be applauded; it was a great gift for our Youth!
In Schoenstatt
When we landed in Germany, we had an unfortunate surprise on the trip, the Pilgrim MTA was slightly damaged and the piece of grenade that was glued was loose. We were very disappointed because of the carelessness of the company, and shortly before arriving in Schoenstatt, we were somewhat disappointed. The piece of grenade was still glued although it was loose. As we tried to find the correct place of the shrapnel, we had an enormous surprise: Something was written on the upper part of the grenade!
We had never noticed this writing. We asked Father Alfonso, and he did not know about it either. The words were faded because of the length of time. We took a camera from the backpack, and we took a close-up photo with flash of the grenade. With the zoom and with a flashlight, we were able to read the phrase: “Let us guard the inheritance, loyally and heroically, like Joseph E”.
The emotion of this moment cannot be described with words! We discovered the phrase very close to Schoenstatt, on the Pilgrim MTA’s first pilgrimage the Original Shrine, just before disembarking at Vallendar: Certainly the Mother was telling us something!
Whoever has been in Schoenstatt knows that the Marienau Shrine is on the first street; it is almost at the entrance. So as soon as we reached the street of this Shrine and in front of the Farewell Corner, where the Founding Father bid farewell to Joseph Engling, Clemens Holländer – Brother of Mary – told us “Do you see the wood of the cross? I am the one who gave that piece of wood to Pozzobon!” Another surprise of the Blessed Mother!
The Heroic Pilgrim MTA accompanied us everywhere, especially in the Original Shrine and at the Founding Father’s tomb. As Pozzobon said of his visit to Schoenstatt “I was fortunate to know the source,” and She could say the same thing: It was a great gift of the Mother and Queen to make this pilgrimage! It was a great gift that she revealed those two small “secrets” which were little known until now. We took Her, to know Schoenstatt, and She revealed a part of its origin. It was another sign of the Covenant of Love.
The signs…
When I returned to Brazil, I could not get everything out of my head. In the end, we walked kilometers with Her, we had different experiences…and She arrived to Schoenstatt with the base of the grenade somewhat damaged. Had it not been for this small damage, we never would have read that message. It is a message that reminds us of Father’s inheritance and of our mission to take care of it like Joseph Engling.
In front of the place where the Father bid farewell to Engling, we met the man who gave Pozzobon the wood of the Pilgrim MTA’s cross. A cross. A sign of Christ…a sign that reminds of us of the Black Crosses and of the Founding Father.
Conversing with Father Alexandre about these events, he said that perhaps he had a document that told about the grenade. When he found it, he realized that he never noticed what one paragraph of the letter said…It was a letter that, Herwart Maria Groll, a novice of the Brothers of Mary, wrote to John Pozzobon . Now this paragraph is understood:
“Among many other things, what impressed me the most was the phrase that you (John Pozzobon ) told us during the trip to Dachau, at Block 14, Department 3, the founding place of our Community of the Brothers of Mary: “Loyal heroes, like Joseph Engling, we guard the Founder’s inheritance.”
“At a bunker in Lys, the place where Joseph Engling offered his life, Mr. Hannappel, found a big piece of a grenade from the First World Ward, and he gave it to me. At that moment it occurred to me to etch that phrase on the grenade and to give it to him. I took it on the Death Walk (the road that Engling traveled before dying).”
What does this mean?
That the Blessed Mother wanted to say something to the Boys’ Youth. But, what could it be?
In the light of Divine Providence and upon reflecting on the moment in which our youth experienced this phrase: “Guard the inheritance, loyally and heroically, like Joseph Engling,” speaks volumes in many ways.
The first thing that entered my head was the present state of Joseph Engling’s beatification, which has been suspended and runs the risk of being cancelled. And I remembered the phrase from Heavenwards that says: “May Joseph Engling soon be canonized, too, so that all resistance may be overcome which obstructs our fruitfulness and prevents others from seeing the Fater’s plan in faith. (Heavenwards, p. 137)
The Mother wants to call our attention to Engling, so that our youth will more strongly draw closer to our hero that they will try to be like him in the love and giving of self to Schoenstatt. Engling guards the Founding Father’s inheritance. We should also guard it and live like he did. We should pray for his canonization. According to the Founding Father’s words, his canonization is a condition for Schoenstatt’s efficacy.
The Mission Christ Tabor also comes to my mind. The Pilgrim MTA and the Cross are our marked symbols as missionaries. Therefore from the beginning, it was decided that we wanted to work on Engling’s spirit at the Mission, and the motto will be his well-known phrase: “The entire world is our battlefield”. Missions in 2012, the 100th Anniversary of the Founding Father’s and Engling’s arrival at Schoenstatt.
Brother Herwart finished his letter with the Introduction from Heavenwards p. 122,123.
This part is exactly what the organizers of the Mission have been praying since February as Capital of Grace…another coincidence or another voice of God? The Founding Father’s inheritance teaches us to see events departing from the second option.
To read the complete letter of novice Herwart to John Pozzobon click here (Portuguese)
Translation: Celina Garza, San Antonio, USA Englis edit: Melissa Janknegt, Elgin, USA
Thank you for translating and posting this article! I would like very much to get in contact with Mr. Clemens Holländer once more. If anybody knows how I could send him an email or something, please send a message to noticias@jumasbrasil.com.br . It’s very important to us! Thank you!