Fifteen years of the Youth Shrine

PARAGUAY, María Luz Fleitas. The Schoenstatt Youth Shrine celebrated its 15^th Anniversary on September 21^st.  Since it is located in Asunción, many people also call it the City Shrine.  Family, neighbors, and pilgrims arrived at the place with joy and gratitude for the many graces the Mother Thrice Admirable has granted them with her immense maternal love.

Father Martín Gómez celebrated the Holy Mass, and Fathers Bernardo Parra, Pedro Kühlcke, Pedro Miraballes and Lothar Herter concelebrated. Fr. Lothar Herter is the adviser of the Mothers’ Federation in Germany; he accompanied a group of the Mothers’ Federation from Germany.  The Sisters of Mary and the novices, who always add a special touch to the celebrations, also participated in the ceremony.

It is good to be here!

Father Martin expressed gratitude to the Blessed Mother for choosing this place to established herself in our midst; he stressed the anniversary motto of this year “It is good to be here,” Peter’s words on Mount Tabor and also Father Kentenich’s with the founding generation, when the Blessed Mother established herself in the Shrine.  “It is good to be here because you, Mary are here! It is a home for the entire family, a gift of the Omnipotence for all of us.  For this reason, you send us forth as your missionaries to encounter others.  We should take the experience of the Shrine to others, transmitting our Mother’s glories and the miracles that flourish through her three graces.”   Choir 21 sang beautiful songs during the Eucharistic celebration.

Finally, there was a procession around the Youth Shrine accompanied by the team of FFAA – Navy musicians.  Father Martin extended greetings from Fathers Tommy Nin Mitchell and José Pontes, who are abroad.

Father Tommy, who works in Paraguay and who is presently in Germany, placed a sign with the inscription “Youth Shrine.  Asunción. Paraguay” on the communion rail of the Original Shrine, and he placed a votive candle next to it.  In this manner the 15^th Anniversary of the blessing of this Shrine was remembered during the Mass toward 2014 in the Original Shrine.

Youth discovering the fourth grace of the Shrine

Youths in ceremonial attire participated in a beautiful and simple celebration with the emotion of knowing that it is growing as a family and experiencing the process of fruitfulness of the Schoenstatt Work in the Youth Shrine, which is filled with hundreds and hundreds of youths every Sunday, and who also congregate during the week days for their meetings or other activities to receive Christ.  Everyone heartily proclaimed: “It is good to be here.”

This beautiful celebration began the previous night.  The Boys’ and Girls’ Youth held a vigil waiting until twelve o’clock in the Shrine to present to the Blessed Mother what they believe was the fourth grace the MTA had granted during the fifteen years:  “A Youthful Spirit” is the spirit that attracts so many youths to the Youth Shrine, it is the Schoenstatt phenomena that is experienced in this Marian Shrine, which is located in the capital of Paraguay!

Spanish/English translation: Celina M. Garza, San Antonio, TX, USA

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