BRAZIL, Maria Rita Fanelli Vianna. On 16 March 2014 – sixty-seven years after our Founder’s first visit to Santa Maria, Brazil – the statue of Fr. Kentenich was finally blessed. On this day, the liturgy focused on the Transfiguration, taking us up Mount Tabor…Tabor moments for the Schoenstatt Family in the greater São Paulo area!
Material preparation: an anonymous donor
Someone – a man, woman or even group of people – donated the statue to the Tabor Shrine of Victorious Confidence in the Father, São Paulo/Brazil. This donor wanted to remain anonymous. But our father and founder knows who it is, and so everyone has prayed fervently that this person may receive countless blessings and graces for this wonderful gift which now adorns this São Paulo shrine.
The donor gave everyone moments of jubilee, joy, gratitude, a Magnificat moment for all who belong to the Institutes, Unions, Branches, Pilgrim Mother Campaign and who, together make up the large Schoenstatt Family in the greater São Paulo area.
Spiritual preparation: Novena
The photograph tells a story of expectation…
In order to prepare our hearts and our gift of self, all who belong to the Apostolic Schoenstatt Movement in São Paulo prayed a novena reflecting on the six demands of the covenant of love.
Following in our Founder’s footsteps, they sought personal transformation!
All the contributions to the Capital of Grace sent online were placed on a flash drive and placed at the feet of our founder, as a sign that his sons and daughters want to help him to create a covenant culture and, like him, want to be transformed into new men and women, building a new society in the great city of São Paulo, which has so many problems…
Day of Blessing, opening of the 2014 Jubilee Year
Only after the date – 16 March – was set for the blessing of the Founder statue and the opening of our Jubilee year, did we realize the dei-incidince (divine coincidence) that this was the date of the founder’s first visit to Brazil. Could it fall on a better date?
To open the Jubilee Year and welcome the ‘physical’ presence of the founder among his children, the Schoenstatt Family Council organized a programme consisting of four workshops: 1) Fr. Kentenich and the four milestones; 2) Fr. Kentenich and his practical faith in Divine Providence; 3) the ‘fruits’ of the covenant, focusing on the life and mission of Deacon João Luiz Pozzobon. The fourth workshop, put together by the Mothers’ League recalled the history and mission of the shrine: Tabor of Victorious Confidence in the Father!
A small miniature model representing the foundation of the shrine encouraged all those present to feel that they are ‘building’ a ‘living stone’ of the shrine for the next 100 years! They took the small stones home, so that they can always remember this task.
When heaven touches earth…
Many people repeated this sentence, but it really reflects the experiences of that afternoon. The faithful, those who are faithful to the MTA met and were united – truly as cor unum – to ‘receive’ the Founder at this shrine.
Echoes of the inauguration:
- “Our goal throughout the novena became real as we gave our jubilee gift: Cor unum in Patre! To be one, united in the same mission and in the heart of our father and founder to take Schoenstatt, faithful to the origin, into a new century in our history! May this Mark of the Jubilee Year always be engraved in our hearts! And may we enjoy our father and founder’s blessing in each moment of our lives and selfless service to the mission! Yes, father, we go with you! And you can always count on your Schoenstatt Family at the Tabor of Victorious Confidence in the Father!” — Sr. Marcia M., responsible for the Pilgrim Mother Campaign in São Paulo.
- “We believe there were blessings and grace!!! It is so good to belong to the Schoenstatt Family. ‘Nothing without you, nothing without us’!!! We’ll celebrate this Jubilee Year with great love, dedication and tenderness!!! After all, the MTA deserves the best of us!! May the blessings of God and the MTA remain with you! Henrique and Selma – Pilgrim Mother Campaign
- “3/16 will become an unforgettable day in our history for the new century! I am very happy to be a part of it, together with the whole VM family! Everyone’s joy was contagious. Our father and founder was present, smiling at us! We are a family, blessed in our faithfully and loyally carrying out our duty! ‘Nothing without you, nothing without us!’ My heart is celebrating! In Victorious Confidence in the Father, we can offer our jubilee gift to our Mother and Queen, united in the mission of proclaiming her unconditional love to all people, through Divine Providence. There were so many blessings and graces that we received and want to offer! Your Covenant our Mission!” Dora – Mothers’ League
- “My dear Sisters, dear mothers, my heart is also still celebrating, full of joy for the many graces we received yesterday. Joy reigned and it was incredible how everything unfolded so calmly, with such peace. You cannot imagine…more than 400 people gathered (from what I was able to count) and everything proceeded with such joy. I’m happy to be a part of this Family, this history. We felt the presence of our father and founder and we knew that he would be so happy to see his family together, celebrating. We only have to thank our good Father and our dear Mother. So much gratitude.” Maria Augusta – Mothers’ Union
“My heart is still celebrating!!!! Everything yesterday was so wonderful!!! We felt the presence of God the Father, the Blessed Mother and our dear father and founder during that great Family reunion!! I’d say they were unforgettable moments!!! We left strengthened, encouraged to continue, more on fire for our mission from the Tabor Shrine of Victorious Confidence in the Father!!!” Valéria Azevedo – Mothers’ League
The photos say it all…
And the unity went even further. Our Father and Founder arrived in São Paulo on the same day as the groundbreaking for the shrine in Austin/Texas…
How can we doubt our MTA’s actions from the Shrine, the Schoenstatt Family? How can we doubt that this work is part of the plan of Divine Providence in our life?
Magnificat! Gratitude! Apostolic Ardor!
YOUR COVENANT OUR MISSION!!!
Original: Portuguese Translation: Sarah-Leah Pimentel, South Africa
