mkf. Wednesday, May 4th, a sunny day around the Original Shrine and only a handful of people were witnesses of an historic moment. By coincidence, some members of the Schoenstatt Family from Trier who were praying in the Original Shrine; through the invitation, some Ecuadorians and Fr. Egon Zillekens, and of course the protagonists of this event: Sister Marion McClay, general coordinator of the worldwide pilgrimage of the Father Symbol, Sister M. Michela, representative of the Schoenstatt Family from France, and Aquiles and Laura Guerrero, National Commission leaders of 2014 from Ecuador. It was the moment that the Father Symbol being transferred from France and Belgium to Ecuador.
It was the first time that the Guerreros had been in Schoenstatt, and it was a special honor for them to receive the Father Symbol that is on its third year of a worldwide pilgrimage in which it will visit Ecuador, Brazil, Argentina, and other countries during its two-year stay in South America. The presentation ceremony was prepared with prayers and songs along with Sister Maria Andrea, while some Schoenstatters from Trier prayed in the Original Shrine, awaiting the arrival of Sister Michele and Sister Marion with the Father Symbol. Some small arrangements had to be made for the Symbol. The long awaited moment finally arrived…and Father Egon Zillekens, Ecuadorian of heart and vocation, also arrived.
Presentation of the Symbol
Sister Marion began with a brief talk and prayer in German, and then she asked Sister Michele to express gratitude in French for the visit of the Father Symbol to France and Belgium. Next the Guerreros (who had not understood a single word) prayed aloud with great emotion on behalf of the entire Ecuadorian Family: “Yes, Father, we go with you.” In a simple moment and in silence, Sister Michele presented the Symbol to the couple. After the renewal of the Covenant of Love, Father Egon gave the blessing, and invited the Guerreros to participate the following morning in the Original Shrine at the Holy Mass that he celebrated in Spanish as a tribute for the effort of these representatives from Ecuador to come for the Father Symbol and to take it to their country.
Arrival
On Friday, the Symbol was welcomed in Guayaquil with great jubilation. “There was an endless amount of pictures taken with this and that group,” Sister Maria Auxiliadora reported. The first night, the Symbol visited the Sisters of Mary, who were happy to be the first ones in Ecuador to have it precisely on the day that they were celebrating the saint’s day of their General Superior, Sister M. Aleja. With a very busy schedule, it then departed for destinations throughout Ecuador.
Photos and videos
Translation: Celina Garza, San Antonio, Melissa Janknegt, Elgin, USA
