ARGENTINA, Ricardo Bellani. On May 1st, the MTA Wayside Shrine was blessed at San José Colonia, province of La Pampa. On that day, within the framework of the Saint Joseph’s patron celebrations, the current Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Archbishop Mario Aurelio Poli (who was the Bishop of Santa Rosa, La Pampa until recently and who was named by Pope Francis as his successor), blessed the Wayside Shrine dedicated to the Blessed Mother, and then he celebrated Holy Mass at the Saint Joseph’s Church.
A little bit of history
In December 1948, Father Joseph Kentenich visited the daughter house that the Sisters of Mary had opened in Colonia San José. The Sisters directed a small boarding school for children from German families, who came from Volga and established themselves in the area. On the night of December 5th, there was a solemn consecration of the Wayside Shrine in the garden of the Sisters house. Father Kentenich blessed the picture in the Church, and he led everyone in procession to the garden, where it was placed in the wayside shrine that had just been built.
When the Sisters left Colonia San José, the Wayside Shrine was left in the care of the members of the community. Because of the natural decrease in this neighborhood’s residents, there was a time that it was forgotten, and the Wayside Shrine was virtually abandoned for almost three decades.
The breath of the Holy Spirit
But the Holy Spirit and the Blessed Mother’s loyalty to her Covenant moved hearts. First it was in Mar del Plata, where Mary and Luis Torreani live and who providentially learned about the existence of the Wayside Shrine. After visiting the place, they began to think about restoring it.
Shortly afterwards, some members of the Schoenstatt Family from Valentin Alsin (south of Greater Buenos Aires), upon reading the book, “Father’s Footsteps” by Father Esteban Uriburu, also learned about its history, and they connected with some residents of colonia (neighborhood) via email. This is how they met Sister Maria Ester Cortabarria (Daughter of Maria Auiliadora) who was in charge of the pastoral of the San Juan Bosco Parish in Colonia Barón and of the Saint Joseph Church, where the Wayside Shrine is located.
Since then there has been a mutual stream of attachment between Schoenstatt and Sister Maria Ester, who invited them to participate in the celebration of the new blessing on May 1st, and in the celebration of the patron saint. In Valentin Alsin, it was decided to collaborate with the restoration, and immediately the Belgrano neighborhood and the center of Buenos Aires families enthusiastically joined in praying and making material contributions for the work.
Journeys with the feeling of Tabor
The first group arrived at San José on the morning of April 30th, which was joined by Laura de Mernes and Marta and Ricardo Bellani of the Diocese of Avellaneda – Lanus (to which Valentin Alsina belongs). The afternoon of the same day, Marta de Liñares, Ricardo and Bibiana Bombién, Sara and Héctor Brugnoli, Alberto Rodriguez, Stella and Mauricio Bovera arrived from Buenos Aires.
During the afternoon, the same ceremony that the Father and Founder carried out in 1948 was repeated, and they marched in procession from Saint Joseph’s Church to the MTA Wayside Shrine. This time by the light of candles that replaced the torches that were used before. Then they returned to the church to celebrate Holy Mass, which was dedicated in gratitude to everyone who helped to restore the Wayside Shrine and to the Schoenstatt Family. Afterwards, Sister Maria Antonia Minig, of the Congregation of Jesus, presented a beautiful testimony about Father Kentenich, who she had met in 1948, when the Father and Founder visited San José; she was fourteen years old. Then the Torreanis presented four Pilgrim MTAs that they gave to the missionaries from the place to begin the Campaign.
Wednesday morning two Sisters of Mary came: Sister Maria Ester González, from the Shrine of Belgrano and Sister María Lupiañez, from the Shrine of the Father. At 3:30 p.m., Archbishop Poli solemnly blessed the Wayside Shrine with the participation of almost four thousand people.
Then the new Archbishop of Buenos Aires celebrated Holy Mass in honor of Saint Joseph the Worker, a celebration with which he bid farewell to his beloved people of La Pampa.
The road of every pilgrim
Part of Archbishop Poli’s homily:
“Saint Joseph does not speak, but acts: he was obedient to the Father, taking care of his Son and he loved his Spouse. So, every time that you come to Saint Joseph’s Church, come by and greet Mary in her Wayside Shrine that we just blessed, because Mary leads us to Jesus”… “Today is a providential day,” he continued, “many of us were at the Wayside Shrine of the Mater Ter Admirabilis, many years ago, in 1948, a man of God, Joseph Kentenich, who has a large religious family, blessed a wayside shrine beside this shrine, the Wayside Shrine of the Virgin Mother Admirable, Thrice Admirable. We restore that wayside shrine thanks to the many good people who came forward. And today we pass first by Mary, and then we came to the shrine. Well, that has to be the way of the pilgrim’s road, do not dare to come to the Saint Joseph’s Shrine without going by the Wayside Shrine, because we do not understand about Joseph if we do not enter through the heart of Mary. In the Church, we say: ‘Saint Joseph, spouse of the Most Holy Virgin.’ That is what the celebration of March 19th is. You cannot understand it in any other way, because he loved Mary; he takes us to Mary and Jesus; he placed himself at their service. That is why there are no words from Joseph; it is all service, all justice, all virtue to love Mary and to love Jesus.”
Then the large celebration in honor of Saint Joseph was held with dances and the standard German foods.
The grounds united us and loyalty made us strong. We just wanted to relate it…
Spanish/English Translation Celina M. Garza San Antonio, Texas
