ROME, Don Stefano Mueller. A wonderful late summer’s day. The doors of the shrine “of all of us”, MATRI ECCLESIAE are wide open. In the international shrine at Belmonte we join in the handing over of the Original Shrine by the Pallottine Society to our worldwide Family. Schoenstatters from the first Federation group in Rome, young adults and the family groups of the Eternal City are represented, as are the missionaries of the Pilgrim Mother, and pilgrims from Casalotti and the parish of St Gemma, the Sisters of Mary from the COR ECCLESIAE shrine, and of course, our Brazilian Sisters, members of the Institute of our Lady of Schoenstatt, and our Czech custodian family, young and old, big and small. As representatives of the Movement, and at the same time as representatives of the international Family, we are in Belmonte where the charism of our Movement is increasingly being recognised in the heart of the universal Church.
During our time of prayer, which begins at 5 p.m. with the daily recitation of the Rosary, we prepare ourselves for the Vespers that will take place 1337 kilometres away in the Original Shrine at 6 p.m. During this time “the Pallottine community will give the Schoenstatt Movement the pilgrimage chapel in Vallendar, Schoenstatt, to mark their centenary in 2014” (Press notice of 20 May 2013).
The thought, ‘This house belongs to us’, outweighs all the other advantages
Before the Blessed Sacrament exposed in the monstrance given to the shrine “of all of us” by the Schoenstatt Movement of Wives and Mothers, we listen to a meditation of words from the First Founding Document. For some it is the first time they have heard these words here. What a resonance these words find in our hearts within these walls of the shrine at this moment, “The thought, ‘This house belongs to us’, by far outweighs all other advantages This little chapel belongs to our small Sodality family, which is governed by our heavenly Mother. It belongs completely to us …” “It is good to be here … Would it not be possible for our Sodality chapel to become our Tabor where Mary reveals her glories? … I would like to make this place a place of pilgrimage for our house, and for the whole German Province, perhaps even further afield …” “Do now worry about the fulfilment of your wishes. Ego diligentes me diligo. I love those who love me. First prove that you really love me, that you are serious about your resolutions. You now have the best opportunity to do so.”
What response does the Original Shrine invite from us?
Much gratitude and joy, but also prayer intentions and concerns, as well as readiness to carry out our mission, find expression in the prayers that follow the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary. Fr Mueller, the Rector, then asked us to consider what response the gift of the Original Shrine invites from us.
1) Out of gratitude for the shrine: At the next opportunity to make a pilgrimage to the Original Shrine, at the latest in October 2014? To come more often to the shrine here in Belmonte? To erect a home shrine and to live with it? Personally to become a shrine where people can come into touch with the Blessed Mother and the God of Life in their own hearts? …
2) Out of gratitude for the Pallottine community, without which we would not have our Father and Founder, Fr Joseph Kentenich, and which has now given us the Original Shrine: To go on pilgrimage more regularly to the grave of St Vincent Pallotti here in Rome? To honour him, by for example, mentioning him at the commemoration of the saints at Holy Mass, which we do almost daily here in the international shrine at Belmonte, not least because there is a relic of St Vincent Pallotti in the Altar Stone of the shrine – a gift from the Pallottines for the dedication in 2004?
At the same time as in the Original Shrine and thousands all over the world
The time passed quickly as we meditated, prayed, sang and adored the Blessed Sacrament in silence … and joined in at the same time as the celebration in the Original Shrine. Using the prayer for the 50th anniversary of Vincent Pallotti’s canonisation, followed by the Little Consecration, we renewed our covenant of love and our readiness to carry out our apostolic mission. After Benediction we sang as though we never wanted to stop.
This is the day the Lord has made …
Joy filled our hearts, our souls have been touched, our eyes were radiant. Our joy had to find expression in a little celebration in front of the shrine. “Shrine cookies”, freshly backed by our custodian couple, Mr & Mrs Hurt, with the support of big and small helpers, were an invitation to eat them and increasingly become a shrine ourselves. We toasted the Original Shrine and the cosmos of our shrines with champagne, “Viva il santuario! Evviva!” It was already dark as the last of the happy gathering made their way home.
Photos (Don Stefano Mueller, B. Hurt)
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| September 23, 2013 |
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| September 23, 2013 |
