USA, Belsay Henning, Gustavo Mendez. October 18, 2014 was a special day at the Schoenstatt Shrine in Miami. One hundred years of the Covenant of Love were recalled and celebrated as a family. Hundreds of people came early to pray a rosary with the children and to pay tribute to the Blessed Mother. At eleven o’clock in the morning, the Archbishop of Miami, Thomas Wenski, presided at the Holy Mass; Bishops Fernando Isern and Lorenzo de León from Peru concelebrated.
The most impressive thing was the how Archbishop Wenski made a parallel between the Gospel of Saint Luke, when Jesus sent out the seventy-two disciples and the work of the Father and Founder, Joseph Kentenich, who asked the Virgin to prepare the seminarians, for whom he was responsible, and he sent them into the world to take the message of Jesus and of the Covenant of Love.
The first Covenants of Love of the new Schoenstatt century
After the Eucharistic celebration, a meal was shared in an atmosphere of great joy complemented by many people sealing their Covenant of Love for the first time. Later Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament was offered and members from the Movement renewed their Covenant of Love before receiving the priestly blessing and of being sent forth into the world taking the message of Jesus and Mary.
And in conclusion there was inspiration of poems and songs dedicated to the Blessed Mother in this year of the centenary of the Covenant of Love. The mariachis Hermanos Mora Arriaga sang songs and of course the Mañanitas to the Blessed Mother. All voices sang the songs of gratitude and tribute to the Virgin who gave us this movement, who nourishes and inspires us with her light and her presence.
Father Matías
There were many testimonies from this day, each has his/her own they keep as something special; but there is one that is outstanding.
Matías Hualpa arrived as a simple volunteer at the Shrine’s grounds when there was just a house, grounds, and hope; cleaning and fixing-up. His dream of working for the Blessed Mother came from his native Argentina. The incredible thing is that he arrived on the same day that the grounds began to fixed-up, although it was year before the Shrine was built.
In working for the Blessed Mother, with the Boys’ Youth and with its presence in the Movement, he discovered his priestly vocation and entered the seminary. It is there where he confessed that he entered holding Mary’s hand inspired by Father Joseph Kentenich, the founder of the Movement.
Did you imagine that you would be here celebrating Mass on the day of the centenary?
They asked him if he had imagined that he would be celebrating the Mass here no less than on the day of the centenary.
If you thought that he would say no, his response was surprising:
“Since I entered the seminary, I calculated and I said, if everything goes well, the day of the centenary I will be participating in the Mass of the Shrine.”
The Blessed Mother went beyond; She was co-celebrant in the Mass celebrated by the Archbishop of Miami, another one of Her gifts.
The centenary is only one day old, and it already happened – but the Blessed Mother’s work always continues in each one of us. In Miami, gratitude was expressed to Mary for her kindness, her loyalty, but above all, for her motherly love.
Original: Spanish – Translation: Celina M. Garza, San Antonio, TX USA
