PARAGUAY, Sandra Lezcano. This year and like every 18th, Tuparenda was decorated for a special, huge, and massive celebration, and it opened its doors to welcome all the pilgrims who arrived at the Shrine to greet the Blessed Mother.
At dawn on the 18th, many of the Queen’s children were already working intensely so that everyone who arrived to visit her would feel welcomed by the Schoenstatt Family.
Regardless of the heat – more than 40° C – thousands of children, youths and adults arrived to greet the Mother Thrice Admirable with a contagious joy and an unbreakable faith.
Encounters, laughter and great emotion were a constant throughout the entire day. In seeing the picture of the Blessed Mother arrive at the beginning of every Eucharistic celebration allowed feeling one’s heart beating strongly once again and there was a wholesome pride of knowing that we are Her allies.
To celebrate the Blessed Mother with Paraguayan dances, heavenly choirs, homilies inspired by the Holy Spirit and a closing with thousands of people in procession to the Shrine forming a path of lights and singing happy birthday at the top of their lungs were unique moments that were experienced in Tuparenda.
“Historic attendance marked the celebration of the 100 years of Schoenstatt Schoenstatters”
This was the headline of one of the newspapers in Paraguay, and that was what was seen upon arrival at the National Shrine.
Thousands of pilgrims arrived at Tuparenda that day, Rosary Campaign missionaries from different parts of the country approached with their Pilgrim MTAs, and they had the opportunity of crowning Her for the 100 years, sharing their stories and experiences with the Blessed Mother.
Everything for the Queen
A variety of options were offered to the pilgrims during this Jubilee celebration: photos with Father Kentenich in a comic version of Father Kentenich`s life story, blessing of the Car Shrine, Home Shrine, the prayer of the One Thousand Hail Marys, as well as contributions to the capital of grace for the Blessed Mother on her day. They could also go to the tents, where there was information about the Schoenstatt Movement in Paraguay, or they could visit the Rosary Campaign tent, where they could not only incense and crown their Pilgrim MTA but especially, they could see an exhibition of the different modalities that exist, participate in the stations of the cross, or access the sacrament of reconciliation in the midst of the nature surrounding the Tuparenda Shrine.
Every pilgrim was free to choose these or many other activities that the Schoenstatt Family offered during the celebration of our first centenary.
Even though the joy of the pilgrims for experiencing a historic date in Tuparenda was something remarkable, the family experienced another kind of joy this year, the joy of serving, of giving oneself entirely for the Queen. No one wanted to spend the jubilee celebrations in a passive way, the service offered this year was a magnanimous service, just like the Blessed Mother deserves.
We belong to a large family
The centenary celebration made us markedly feel that we are family. Everyone awaited the arrival of the 18th in a vigil from the three Paraguayan shrines, and we were attached to the worldwide celebrations of all the shrines.
Technology and the social networks have been great tools of unity, allowing us to celebrate the centenary of that first covenant of love with the thousands of Schoenstatters who went on pilgrimage to the Original Shrine, and since the beginnings of the celebrations at Schoenstatt, who made us participants from a distance with their photos, videos, and comments. We could follow the historic moments that were lived in Schoenstatt via the different media.
A celebration in covenant solidarity
Flags from the different nations arrived at Vallendar, seeing my branch flag on the altar of the Original Shrine, and hearing familiar melodies in so many languages making sure of when it was midnight in Germany to begin to welcome the 18th with them, so many people had arrived in Schoenstatt Shrine carrying letters, names, and capital of grace. All of this shows us that we are all Schoenstatt, and that we have learned to live in covenant not only with the Blessed Mother but more especially, also among brothers/sisters.
There is so much to say, so much still to share as we to continue to savor those moments that deeply touch our lives as allies of the Blessed Mother.
What a great blessing to be a part of this history! Committed to another one hundred years of Schoenstatt for the world.
Original: Spanish – Translation: Celina M. Garza, San Antonio, TX USA
