COSTA RICA/CHILE, Marianella Coto Montero/org. On May 25th to 27th, the Family Federation, for the first time at the international level, met in Bellavista, Chile. The Federations meeting were from countries with a long history, from countries with large numbers, and from countries where the entire Family Federation is still in the candidacy phase. It was the perfect place for Covenants, a perfect place for an enriching encounter with different realities and common ideas. Two couples from the first course in Costa Rica participating have been on their walk for less than two years. They share their experience of what remained as a gift and a task for them.
JOY AND DIVERSITY
With the eighteen other communities and territories, we had the joy of sharing a great solidarity that was not only spiritual but also natural.
It was a blessing to attend this conference and thus there is the desire to want to share what we experienced with those who could not attend. Subsequently there is a desire to convey this to them so the strength of this mature, international lay Family can be felt.
In Costa Rica, the road traveled has been a long one, united by an ideal and a common vocation. The International Board accepted our course as candidates on September 24, 2010.
CHALLENGES
The ‘YES’ that Father Kentenich expects has many components and challenges: the absence of God in the spheres of daily life, the fragile love among today’s men and women, internal crisis, division among brothers/sisters, and the uprootedness of modern man. These are all currents that should be combated from the perspective of everyone’s personal ideal.
MARY IN OUR HOUSE
This is the Year of the Shrine Current on the road toward 2014. We have to take our Home Shrine seriously – living with the Home Shrine being the source of grace and strength for the Schoenstatt Family of Costa Rica since it does not yet have a daughter Shrine. That means: to believe in Mary’s presence in our home, to firmly trust in her power as a Mother and Educator, to give ourselves to Her as Mother and Educator and to give ourselves to Her with a filial heart. We want to build holy families, as the values that accompany us throughout life are developed in the family.
CONQUEST OF THE DAUGHTER SHRINE
The desire for a Daughter Shrine is also a great challenge of our time, but we believe that the Blessed Mother has prepared something very big and important for us, so that all of us may obtain it very soon by the hand of our Founding Father. As a lay community, we want to strengthen our struggle for a family world, a world of family attachments, especially for the Year of the Missionary current, which will begin on October 18th. In order to accomplish this we are willing to say: “YOUR COVENANT OUR MISSION”.
Report about the conference: An experience of meeting each other
Translation: Celina M. Garza, San Antonio, TX, USA
