ROMA, mda. “It is the ground that is ready for the mission, everything is so new, looking at the Roman sky,” wrote María Paz Leiva and Miguel Ángel Rubio, from Madrid, of the Family Federation, “for the number of people (we were there) and the number six with the flag prominently featured. But, we will buy all of them!” In the middle of July, some people from the Schoenstatt Apostolic Movement received the draft of a series of Belmonte Schoenstatt International Center’s postcards so that they could choose, express their opinions, propose changes or additions, which not only resulted in a better quality of postcards, but also, the experience – the enthusiasm for the “Shrine for all of us” lives in every part of the world.
“I like all of them, but if I were to buy [one]: I would choose the second one because everything surrounding the Shrine can be seen; I would choose the fourth one because many people can be seen around it; and I love the sixth one because of how the Blessed Mother is seen with the flag…the Belmonte logo; I like Saint Peter and the Shrine united by people very much. I hope we can send them to the people we love from there, and we will know we have fulfilled our dream of making this trip. Belmonte gives me a message: WE ARE CHURCH, OUR FATHER AND FOUNDER was tested so much by it, and he loved it, and we love it with him and like him; we are not outside of it or going toward it or taking something toward it…WE ARE CHURCH,” comments Queca Espinosa from Lima, Peru.
Living memories of an international day that was experienced
It is impressive how many memories of the blessing, during those days of September 2004, return to kindle hearts. “My beloved Shrine in Belmonte, to which Paraná contributed to the capital of grace, fills me with emotion because of its growth,” Tita Rios wrote. “I was not at Belmonte physically, or at the blessing or afterwards.” But she was present with her contributions to the capital of grace carried in the jar from the Shrine of La Loma, by the pilgrims from Paraná on that 8th of September.
“Thank you for sending us these photos that awaken so many touching memories of the blessing of the Mater Cor Ecclessia Shrine,” commented Nalle Coto, from Costa Rica. She was with a small group of pilgrims, taking a small jar that is the one that always remains in the Belmonte Shrine and serves very well for the offerings…a jar that has been in this Shrine “for all of us” for ten years, speaks of the desire of the Costa Rican Family to have its own shrine. “I especially like number three because of the meaning it has– the jars that are full, taken from all the countries, (some with difficulty), with all the prayers, sacrifices, and contributions to the capital of grace so that the Shrine could be inaugurated in Rome, the heart of the Church, exactly as our beloved Founder desired.
They are memories that become a ten year-old treasure, and that speaks of the “nothing without You…nothing without us,” and of all the gifts and blessings that the Blessed Mother has given us from that special moment…”
“How time has passed! …Ten years ago, we were there for the blessing of the Shrine; what beautiful memories and then the living shrine that we formed in the Vatican! I like number four, because it has the Shrine and all of us,” Patricia Ahumada, from Chile wrote.
How beautiful!!! These views take me back to the day of the blessing of the Shrine!!!” Agda Grupe, from Cordoba, Argentina commented. “Everything has grown so much!!! How grandiose!!! I feel nostalgic for those very blessed days. I still have the small jar that they gave us…”
Recuerdos vivos de un día de internacionalidad vivida
Alicja Kostka, from Poland, likes “the atmosphere, the colors, the internationality, the Italian weather” that radiates from the photos, while Professor Rolandi Cori, from Chile, likes that “a chapel in a beautiful surrounding with many people around it” can be seen. They are symbols of popular piety and it is understandable to everyone in the Church.”
Manuel Huapaya, from Perú, likes the photo of the Shrine with flags that “shows the universality of our mission.” This photo, for a change, was also the one that the designer especially likes; she does not know about Schoenstatt…
Maria Tedeschi, 89 years-old, has translated for Belmonte for ten years; she wants one of these postcards “to have my beloved Belmonte in my Home Shrine – and Monina Crivelli, from Buenos Aires, likes all of them: “They are sensational!! I love all of them! The house is enormous!!”
Why is it empty?
One of the last responses came from Brazil – Maria Rita Vianna, from Sao Paul, knows how to interpret an “empty” postcard: “This is Belmonte…Father, running toward the Shrine to give it to the Church…calling us to run behind him. But he runs more rapidly…”
Original Spanish: Translation Celina M. Garza, San Antonio, TX USA
