BURUNDI, Sister M. Béatrice Kagimbi. On April 18th and 19th, the Schoenstatt Family in Burundi bid farewell to the Father Symbol that is on pilgrimage throughout the world in preparation for 2014 with a very animated celebration. During the past weeks, the Father Symbol has visited Burundi, Rwanda, and Tanzania. On the afternoon of April 19th, the African sun illuminated the Father Symbol for the last time and made it shine. Then Sister M. Jeanine boarded a plane and returned the Father Symbol to Schoenstatt, where it will continue on its pilgrimage to France and Belgium. The experience remains: God the Father and Father Kentenich have gazed on Burundi and its neighboring countries with much love.
Bujumbura, April 18th, Covenant Day: Father Kentenich in the center of the Schoenstatt Family
On April 18th, the Covenant of Love renewal day, there was Adoration throughout the day in the Shrine of Mount Zion Gikungu; the Father Symbol was present. It was a very good opportunity to express gratitude to the Holy Trinity for the wonders that Father worked in the Schoenstatt Family in Burundi, Rwanda, and in Tanzania, and for the blessings that were poured out everywhere this symbol went on pilgrimage. The theme for this day was: As witnesses and in its presence, we experienced many wonders.
Father Kentenich’s Memorial
The most unforgettable gift was the Father Kentenich Memorial at Mount Schoenstatt. When the Father Symbol arrived in Burundi, the only memorials were on Mount Zion (the grounds of the Schoenstatt Fathers) and in Mutumba (the first Shrine in Burundi). When the Father Symbol bid farewell, the memorial at Mount Schoenstatt (on the Sisters’ grounds) was ready and it only needed to be blessed.
Adoration was held until the beginning of the Covenant Mass at approximately 5:00 p.m. The Shrine was completely filled and outside there were some five hundred people. It was wonderful how the entire Family gathered around Father during the Holy Mass. Father Anicet celebrated the Mass, and he manifested the joy of having the participation of many young Schoenstatt boys and girls, who were participating in a training conference. They also had the opportunity of bidding Father farewell and greeting him since some of them had come from far away, and they still had not seen the symbol.
His blessing remains
After the Holy Mass, everyone went to the Father memorial, where they prayed for the beatification of Father Kentenich, and they asked for his paternal and priestly blessing. It was an admirable scene to see everyone kneeling before the Father memorial to receive the final blessing of the Holy Mass. Everyone was profoundly convinced that Father Kentenich blessed his Family through the priest. Then they sang the Hymn of the Family, and the participants were invited to enter the large church, where pictures of all the places the Father Symbol had visited were shown. It was truly a day in which Father was among his children.
April 19th: departure of the Father Symbol
April 19th was also a very blessed day, although it was not easy to pass the symbol to others. In the morning, eight priests concelebrated in the large church dedicated to the Holy Trinity. Many people participated, who wanted Father to see them once again. During the homily, Father Anicet said that the Father truly sees us, he loves us, and he needs us. He stressed that we should be grateful to Father, because his visit helped us to deepen the experience that God infinitely loves us.
After the Holy Mass, Father Anicet reminded them that there would be a prayer at 11:00 to bid farewell to the Father Symbol, and that everyone who was free from work was cordially welcome to attend.
We place Christ’s cross on this land
Those, who were able, gathered at the Shrine of Mount Zion at 11:00 a.m., and they prayed a rosary with the Sisters; then a prayer of praise led by three Schoenstatt mothers was recited. It was a very profound prayer that surely touched our Father’s heart.
Mrs. Melanie prayed aloud: “We praise you, God, our Father, for your infinite love, that love that does not appear in the newspapers, but that we experience every day of our life. We present our nation, Burundi, to you especially the rural area of Bujumbura, where parents often have to bury their children [who are] victims of unceasing and unwanted war. We erect the cross of Christ there. He is the King, who will conquer. He will accomplish the victory and make the enemies of peace in that region disappear. Father, stay with us, your children, and make us always loyal. We call on you, our beloved Father.”
“Cor unum in Patre”: One heart in the Father
The participants expressed their gratitude to Father for the visit and for all the wonders that he gave them, and they prayed for peace in Burundi and the neighboring countries. At 11:45 a.m., they went in procession to the Father memorial, where they sang a song of thanksgiving. Several people presented their petitions and gratitude to Father, and they prayed for the “Cor unum in Patre” and for many blessings for all the countries where the Father Symbol will arrive next. Once again they sang a song of gratitude and finally Father Evade, the rector of the Shrine, solemnly blessed them in front of the Father Kentenich memorial.
It was good to see Father in the midst of his Family. Close to 12:20 p.m., everyone accompanied the Father Symbol in procession to the parking lot of Mount Zion, from where it departed to the airport in Bujumbura. The Sisters’ car had the honor of taking the Father Symbol. Sisters M. Lisette, M. Petronie, M. Jeannette, M. Virginia and the candidates joyfully said, “until we meet again.” Some people followed in their own cars.
Through the diplomatic access
At the airport, a man who works there (he is the spouse of a Schoenstatt mother) affectionately welcomed the Father Symbol. He is a good friend of Mount Zion. Sister M. Jeanine had the honor of traveling with Father. She entered through the diplomatic access, where dignitaries enter; Sister M. Lisette, who went to the security checkpoint to make sure everything went well, accompanied her. The same man did the security check, and he even carried the baggage. Sister M. Jeanine felt like a queen. Since she was “traveling with Father” she entered the waiting room for presidents and dignitaries. This man had very well understood the appropriate place for the Father Symbol. Surely, before the departure of the Father Symbol, which also represents him, Father Kentenich once again blessed the country, and the hearts of the people of Burundi.
May the virtue of the Covenant of Love with our beloved MTA keep us in Father’s heart, now and always, then there will be no time or distances which separate us, we will live eternally together with Father.
