mkf. “How many more Masses like these will we celebrate until October 18, 2014?” The celebrant’s question awakened an instantaneous speedy mental calculation among those present. “Good Friday Mass is not celebrated…” Father Egon Zillekens added smiling…beginning now until 2014 we will celebrate at least two hundred Masses…then this awakened a collective sigh…we will celebrate these Masses on Saturday mornings in the Original Shrine until 2014, praying for the Schoenstatt Family’s preparation for the large pilgrimage to the Original Shrine on October 18, 2014. On the snowy morning of January 30th, the Chilean youth who are visiting Schoenstatt for a few months, made the Mass, celebrated in both Spanish and German, pleasant with their songs and prayers.
For Esteban Albiger from Nuequén, Argentina, who sealed his Covenant of Love in the Shrine on Mount Sion on Friday, it was a Mass of farewell to Schoenstatt after several weeks as a volunteer in the Pilgrims’ Center.
This was the fifth Mass celebrated “for 2014” with representatives from Germany, Scotland, Ecuador, Chile, and Argentina. They prayed especially for the preparation in all the countries where the Schoenstatt Apostolic Movement is solidly established.
The youth that have been in Schoenstatt either for a few days or for several weeks “are already kindled with the 2014 FIRE.” María Soledad Dalbos of the Girls’ Youth from Bella Vista, Buenos Aires, Argentina, who made a brief stay in Schoenstatt within the framework of her trip through Europe, became enthused with the idea of a large pilgrimage by everyone to the Original Shrine on October 18, 2014.
“It feels good to come on pilgrimage to the Original Shrine from all the countries… I will begin saving money NOW in order to be here for this pilgrimage!” she commented.
Francisco Grondona and Diego Asili are working on a project for the web- site called: ONE HUNDRED covenants lived for ONE HUNDRED YEARS of the Covenant. According to the rhythm of work and the investigations they have made, they found “new heroes” on all the continents and through the generations. “We estimate that the number 100, which we have proposed, will be easily surpassed, since it already seems that there will be many, many more…”
“This school of Holiness seems to have many graduates” they commented with great joy. Soon the first twenty “saints of the Covenant of Love lived in everyday life” will be found on schoenstatt.de.
The Father Symbol continues its pilgrimage…
For Puerto Rico, this week begins the farewell for the visit of the Father Symbol, which was carried out in this country within its worldwide pilgrimage. Next Saturday, February 5th, it will leave Puerto Rico arriving in Schoenstatt the next day. On February 7th, it will go to Hungary. It is important to take note of this information: Monday, February 1st, is the first anniversary of the beginning of Conference 2014. Every day of this week, it is worthwhile to recall this time of graces: composed of the encounters, the presentation of the symbols of the countries’ grace, the open doors that were discovered, the apostolate fields, the message of 2014, the sending forth from the Original Shrine, and the large stream of prayer throughout the world that has accompanied these days which have profoundly marked everyone who had the grace of participating…physically or spiritually.
So…how many times will we celebrate these Masses in the Original Shrine until October 18, 2014?
Translation: Celina Garza, San Antonio, USA / Melissa Janknegt, Elgin, USA
