GERMANY/POLAND, Sister M. Damiana Czogala. The MTA was present in the midst of the Olympic Stadium of Berlin in the “European Auxiliary”. It has been on pilgrimage through the European countries since 2009 and on September 2012 it will be crowned jointly by all of them as “Queen of the New Evangelization. But what are 500 kilometers of distance, when it is the Holy Father, who comes to visit?
534 kilometers to the papal blessing
The group of the Schoenstatt Rosary Campaign from the parish of Suszec (Diocese of Kattowitz), who had the Auxiliary at that time, decided that the MTA and the Holy Father should see each other. That is how they went on pilgrimage to Berlin with the large picture ( a reproduction of John Pozzobon’s “Original Pilgrim”) with the hope that they as well as the picture would receive the papal blessing.
Simultaneously with the Pope’s landing
At the same time that the Holy Father landed on German soil on September 22, 2011, the group of pilgrims along with the Pastor Krzysztof Winkler from Suszec, were celebrating Holy Mass in the Schoenstatt Shrine of Berlin-Frohnau.
After praying a rosary for the Pope’s intentions they departed to the Olympic Stadium, always carrying the Auxiliary (86 cm high, 86 cm wide, 32 cm depth and 12.8 Kg of weight!
They also had 500 small crowns with them for the Pilgrim MTA,s of the Polish mission circles in Germany, so that they could also be blessed by the Pope before offering them to the Virgin on September 8, 2012.
Pilgrimage through Berlin
The last kilometer to the Olympic Stadium had to be made by foot. Therefore, it was an authentic pilgrimage, in which one couple and then two men carried the Auxiliary through the streets of the city. Didn’t blessings irradiate for Berlin and all of Germany in this way?
On the way to the stadium we saw that some German pilgrims with their backpacks could not pass through security. The question then emerged with fear: what awaits us with the large picture and the 500 small crowns?
Mrs. Regina, the eldest of the group, went ahead bravely since she spoke German. They passed the first security checkpoint without problems, carrying their treasures: the Schoenstatt handkerchiefs that all the pilgrims from Suszec were wearing indicated to the security personnel that they formed one group. At the doors of the large stadium long lines had formed. The Polish pilgrims decided to enter together through the same access. They allowed every to enter except the Auxiliary and the two that were carrying it; they had to wait.
MTA a cause for you!
The nice guard made a couple of phone calls to his boss to clarify the situation. The minutes passed in slow motion…it was feared that the Auxiliary would have to stay outside with the Sisters of Perpetual Adoration, close to the stadium.
It was the pilgrims’ great desire to have Her with the inside the stadium, even if the Holy Father did not see Her directly. After an eternity the security boss came to examine the glass of the picture, the doors of the Auxiliary were closed. The two men lifted the Auxiliary and the boss asked them to open the doors.
Welcome to Olympic Stadium MTA!
One look at the picture was enough, and the security boss, said: “Welcome!” with radiant eyes, and Her companions heard the much awaited words: “go ahead”.
The joy of the entire group was contagious. From then on the picture was carried with the doors open.
On the way there were many encounters with Schoenstatters and group members of the Schoenstatt Rosary Campaign who recognized the picture and were happy to see it.
The first call from the Olympic Stadium was for the group of 40 pilgrims from the Diocese of Hamburg, accompanied by the pastor Jacek Bystro. All of them belong to the Schoenstatt Rosary Campaign, so they receive the picture monthly. They brought the Pilgrim MTA,s with them on the bus, but they were not sure if they could enter with them. Sister Damiana, the coordinator of the groups, encouraged them to take them.
A nice anecdote resulted from this suggestion: one of the ladies from Hamburg had problems with her Pilgrim MTA at the security checkpoint. She explained: “Sister said we should bring the picture with us”, this was enough to convince the guards to allow her to pass.
This is how the MTA, through so many Pilgrim MTA,s was present at the Olympic Stadium. The most important thing however, is that She was present as the Queen of the New Evangelization of Europe in the German capital to support the Holy Father in his mission.
“The church is God’s most beautiful gift”
Every big thing begins with something small: not all of the 70,000 participants in the encounter with the Pope were able to have an encounter with the MTA, but it is evident that She also wanted to work here as Mother and Heart of the Church.
The Holy Father’s closing words in the stadium confirmed the love for the Church that the Polish pilgrims from the Dioceses of Suszec and Hamburg demonstrated by participating in the Pope’s visit to Germany:
Thus the Church is God’s most beautiful gift. Therefore Saint Augustine could say: “as much as any man loves the Church, so much has he the Holy Spirit” (In Ioan. Ev. Tract. 32:8 [PL 35:1646]). With and in the Church we may proclaim to all people that Christ is the source of life, that he exists, that he is the great one for whom we keep watch, for whom we long so much. He gives himself, and thus he gives us God, happiness, and love. Whoever believes in Christ has a future. For God has no desire for what is withered, dead, ersatz, and finally discarded: he wants what is fruitful and alive, he wants life in its fullness and he gives us life in its fullness. (Homily 9-22-11 source: Vatican web site)
The Pope’s blessing at the end of the Holy Mass was united with the European Auxiliary and encouraged everyone who have become Her allies to prepare the crowning with more depth and with more determination, ultimately, allowing the Holy Father’s valuable words to resound and to be put into practice day by day.
24 Covenants of Love in Berlin as a finishing touch to the Pope’s visit
By the way: on the following day, during his visit to Etzelsbach, the Marian place of pilgrimage, while the Holy Father spoke in such a gratifying and attractive way about the love for the Blessed Mother, at the same time, twenty women and two couples from Hamburg and Lübeck sealed their Covenant of Love with the MTA in the Schoenstatt Shrine of Berlin-Frohnau!
Celina M. Garza: Spanish/English translation – Melissa Peña-Janknegt: English edit
